ASIS Money Over Education Allegations Debated

A viral LinkedIn thread by an ASIS CPP holder sparked serious criticisms of ASIS with 89% of 463 respondents voting that ASIS is focused on money over continuous learning.

However, ASIS responded to IPVM, in detail, disputing those charges. Inside this note, IPVM examines the charges, ASIS response, and concerns involved.

Paying for Continuing Education But Not Attending

On October 18, 2022, Eric Vento posted the following complaining about how one could buy access to ASIS' annual GSX conference, not attend and still get credits for continuing education required for CPPs, like himself, screencapped below:

ASIS marketed that "All-Access Pass registrants can earn up to 22 CPEs [i.e., continuing education credits] toward their recertification whether they attend the in-person or via the digital experience." 2022 digital All-Access Pass cost $360 for ASIS members (ASIS regular membership is a separate $234 per year (up 20% from 2021)).

ASIS certificate holders must obtain 60 continuing education CPE units every 3 years or else lose their ASIS certification.

The problem, as Vento, pointed out, is that ASIS does not require proof of education beyond proof of payment.

Vento then posted a poll question with an overwhelming response critical of ASIS:

ASIS responded to IPVM about the concerns over credits saying they do have ways:

ASIS has regimented ways to discern attendance at its events (both digital and in-person). From GSX to our Community-based webinars, we monitor attendance and have other systems in place. Beyond that, we rely on the integrity of the individual seeking CPE credits.

However, ASIS did not respond to our question asking them to elaborate on how they discern attendance. Doing so is fundamentally hard though some organizations that have in-person events will check physical attendance at every session to ensure that attendees were there (ASIS does not).

Sponsorships For Continuing Education

Another way to obtain credits is to attend ASIS webinars but most of them are sponsored (that is, paid for) by sellers and feature thinly veiled sales pitches for what the company offers.

For example, an upcoming ASIS webinar "How Artificial Intelligence Augments Enterprise Physical Security Operations" is sponsored by startup Hakimo is clearly selling Hakimo's offering and even include a Hakimo investor Robinhood on the panel. While this is a savvy move by Hakimo, ASIS is taking payment to decide what products are shown to ASIS members.

ASIS responded by saying this is typical and helps innovators:

Sponsored content is a fair and typical approach associations around the world count on to disseminate appropriate knowledge and content. We have no issue with this in any way as sponsored content is appropriately and actively managed to ensure it is proper and aligned with our mission, vision, strategic plan, and content management goals. In the end, sponsored content is a way for innovators and subject matter experts to share their knowledge with an expansive group of professionals from across the globe.

This is a profitable business model for ASIS knowing that certificate holders need these credits and ASIS can essentially sell those to sponsors who want to get in front of those people. We are not sure how typical this is for associations outside of security though we see this as a biased and corrupt way to deliver education.

As one commenter on the thread concluded:

you go to any ASIS event now and you’re paying to listen to advertising. To the ASIS leadership: Stop making everything a sales pitch!

Volunteering Element

That ASIS generally requires speakers to volunteer while ASIS is paid is a 3rd issue that came up in this debate. For example, as security consultant Brian Flannery opined:

I realized how much about the money they were while I was at GSX this year… the idea that a sponsor would pay upwards of $100k for a marketing space, but ASIS makes national level speakers pay their own way is EXACTLY how you know they are in it for the $$. Other professional organizations will gladly pay for speakers travel and expenses to bring in the who’s who of SME’s, and honestly, those conferences are WAY better. [emphasis added]

ASIS responded on this point emphasizing that "most of our speakers are generous with their time":

By and large, ASIS does not cover travel for speakers to GSX or most other related conferences and/or webinars. There are times when there are exceptions, as warranted. This is rare. Most of our speakers are generous with their time and their commitment to promoting and advancing the profession and do not request or require renumeration of any kind. We do provide registration discounts to speakers at GSX. [emphasis added]

However, requiring speakers to essentially donate to ASIS, encourages and biases toward selecting speakers that want to promote their products or services, which is why it is so common to see manufacturers or consultants volunteer to be speakers. Surely some are doing this out of pure charity but many (having attended sessions over the years) are clearly leaning their education to what they offer.

Outlook

This has been ASIS's way for many, many years and they have stuck to this. And given the still high prestige that the CPP carries for security management, we expect they will be able to maintain this, though at the risk of a longer-term downtrend.