How to Sell CISA to Your Organization

When it comes to CISA training, it can be easy to focus on what it means for individuals. The Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) qualification sets an extremely high standard for auditors, with many businesses treating it as a prerequisite for high-level roles. Even qualifying for the exam demonstrates both a candidate’s experience and commitment to training, and there’s no question passing it can lead to fantastic career opportunities.

But what about organizational advantages for investing in CISA training? With the vast majority of modern organizations relying on information systems for value-generating functions, CISA-level auditors have numerous benefits to offer a business. At the same time, hiring candidates from outside a company can be expensive, and getting them up to speed with an organization’s unique setup can take time.

Training internal staff is an excellent alternative. Upskilling viable candidates can be much cheaper, and career-minded students will happily take the opportunity to advance their skills.

But is it worth it? Let’s look at the biggest benefits of investing in CISA training as a business.

Developing Candidates

As we mentioned in the introduction, the value of getting certified in CISA is a major reason why so many candidates in information systems auditing, information security, and IT governance pursue training on their own. It is worth keeping in mind exactly why the qualification is so valuable, however.

Unlike alternatives like ITIL, CISA only has a single exam covering the breadth of modern information systems auditing. The sections include:

A candidate must have a strong knowledge of each of these areas to pass the exam, and this is where the value lies for businesses interested in CISA training. Upskilling employees and enabling them to build the experience required to take the exam is a great way to obtain the in-house expertise you need – especially as the candidates will utilize their familiarity with your systems throughout their training. Better still, a high-quality CISA training course can help candidates revisit areas where they may be somewhat lacking.

Developing candidates in this way can also be an excellent way to retain talented employees as they become more qualified. Offering a supported training path will demonstrate your commitment to developing your employees, a fact that can go a long way in convincing the best staff to stick around.

Ensuring Compliance

Optimizing security and cyber resilience within an organization’s IT systems is not just a priority – it’s mandatory. Regulations like the GDPR have firmly established compliance targets as an ongoing concern for organizations that utilize digital services and client data. A large part of an IS auditor’s job is analyzing and redesigning systems to ensure they can meet targets reliably and efficiently.

Investing in CISA training for security and compliance professionals can be an excellent way to reliably meet targets and avoid serious financial penalties. An IS auditor can also introduce privacy by design into new and existing systems, upskill staff in best practices, and, when necessary, make appeals to stakeholders regarding security considerations.

While CISA-level compliance can help a business avoid issues, it can also generate value. Having a solid history of meeting and surpassing security requirements is becoming increasingly important for appealing to clients in the Digital Age, especially as major failures can seriously damage an organization’s reputation.

Modern Expertise

The CISA certification was first established in 1978, and exams weren’t made available until 1981. Obviously, IT and IS systems have evolved leaps and bounds in the decades since, but so has CISA itself. The exam syllabus currently reflects insight and practices across the essential domains of modern information systems auditing. Indeed, certification holders must also invest in Continuing Professional Education (CPE) to maintain their qualifications.

In short, an organization should make no mistake that CISA is anything other than a fully modernized certification. A CISA course syllabus is an excellent resource for equipping staff with the latest insight and expertise in a sphere that is constantly and dynamically evolving. This will leave your organization far better able to tackle new and emerging threats, as well as take advantage of fantastic opportunities.

Recognition

We mentioned earlier that getting qualified in CISA can instantly verify a candidate’s abilities, knowledge, and experience. However, the respect offered to CISA qualification holders can also benefit a business. Publicly holding your organization accountable to CISA-level standards can greatly impress potential clients and give them a greater level of certainty in the reliability of your organization. The nature of CISA also means that espousing the qualification demonstrates a commitment to keeping security and auditing practices up to date.

Remember, the CISA certification is respected globally and across virtually all industries. No matter what area or sector your organization operates in, CISA can undoubtedly help you stand out.

Holistic Optimization

Information systems auditors wear a lot of hats. Auditing the information systems processes and capabilities of an organization can deliver multiple benefits outside of security in areas such as risk management, resource management, strategic governance, project and program management, disaster recovery, continuity management, setting new digital and IT policies, upskilling staff, stakeholder engagement and so on. Regardless of where they focus their efforts, an auditor can continuously drive efficiency and optimization.

This does not simply apply to existing systems. A CISA certified auditor can also help design systems from the ground up and instruct different teams and departments to make sure their practices are fully up to date. When you invest in CISA certification training, you will see benefits across your business.