ISC2 members are at the core of how certifications, training, and guidance are built and maintained. From influencing direction through targeted surveys to working directly on exam development and contributing technical course content, practitioners help ensure ISC2 resources reflect real-world security challenges—not theory alone.

This hands-on collaboration shapes everything from member exclusive resources to emerging guidance on critical topics such as Artificial Intelligence across all examination domains. Based on your technical expertise and available time, you can deepen your involvement, strengthen your professional credibility, and earn CPE credits through the opportunities below.

1. Influence Direction through Focus Groups & Surveys

For practitioners who want a voice in how cybersecurity training, certifications, and member engagement evolve, participating in ISC2 focus groups and surveys offers a low time commitment, high impact opportunity. These sessions are designed to capture real-world insights from you, the working professionals, and translate them into measurable improvements across ISC2 programs. Topics can include:

  • Member engagement preferences and learning formats
  • Key performance indicators for professional development
  • Emerging challenges in the competitive cybersecurity job market
  • Gaps in current training and future skill needs

Input gathered from these sessions directly informs ISC2 professional development, certification strategy, as well as ISC2 Events, ensuring training reflects the realities of modern security environments rather than theoretical models. “Our survey and focus group volunteers provide essential guidance that helps shape our content and programs. By sharing where support is needed most —and how we can deliver it—we’re better equipped to create resources that truly strengthen the cybersecurity workforce,” Marinda Hamann, ISC2 Senior Manager, Global Research & Insights.

2. Help Build the Exams That Define the Industry

ISC2 exam content and items are continuously reviewed and updated—even outside formal cycles—ensuring each certification reflects current tools, threats, and practices. Serving as an ISC2 Item Writer or Exam Developer is a deeply technical volunteering opportunity, and is one of the most rigorous and professionally rewarding ways to contribute. These SMEs work behind the scenes on exams through structured and remote development workshops. Workshops can be multi-day intensive virtual sessions or longer remote development efforts. Activities include:

  • Job Task Analysis to define competent professionals job roles and responsibilities
  • Item mapping to align objectives with exam domains
  • Writing and reviewing technically precise exam questions
  • Standard setting to determine fair and defensible passing scores

Sherifat Akinwonmi, CISSP, CCSP shared, "I recently had the privilege of volunteering in a rigorous 3-day virtual Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) exam material review session organized by ISC2, alongside leading professionals in cloud security. It was an incredibly engaging experience where we analyzed exam questions, deliberated over complex scenarios, and had thought provoking discussions that deepened my appreciation for the rigor behind certification exams. This experience opened my eyes to the level of dedication, collaboration, and expertise that goes into ensuring these certifications truly reflect industry standards."

3. Turn Your Expertise into Content

This recently added opportunity is for SMEs interested in teaching at scale. The ISC2 Volunteer Content Contributor and Educational Content Contributor programs allow experienced professionals to convert their knowledge into concise, practical learning resources. These contributors develop continuing education content designed for immediate application by working cybersecurity professionals. Responsibilities include:

  • Creating original, technically accurate content based on approved proposals
  • Collaborating with instructional designers to optimize clarity and delivery
  • Providing authoritative references for all materials
  • Meeting structured timelines and quality standards

Projects’ topics are proposal driven and reviewed, ensuring relevance and technical depth, making this an efficient way to expand professional influence while reinforcing one’s own expertise. The program supports ISC2’s broader mission to advance cybersecurity knowledge through practitioner-led education rather than purely academic theory.

We encourage all members to take a few moments to review the full range of volunteer opportunities available. Whether you have time to serve on a committee, support a short-term project, or lend your expertise in a flexible role, there are many meaningful ways to get involved. Volunteering not only strengthens our organization but also offers a valuable opportunity to build connections, develop new skills, and make a lasting impact within our community.