(ISC)2, the nonprofit membership association of certified cybersecurity professionals, announced that it has been granted Approved Professional Organizations and Learned Societies status by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
This status recognizes (ISC)2 among a select number of essential professional societies and bodies that share or advance professional knowledge, maintain or improve professional conduct and competence or protect members from claims made against them while doing their job. It also allows UK members of (ISC)2 to claim tax relief on their annual maintenance fee.
The learned societies and professional associations on the list are predominantly nonprofit organizations, such as industry bodies, charter organizations and livery companies, as well as independent member associations that exist to raise standards and help their members. The inclusion of (ISC)2 on the list is recognition of its efforts to inspire a safe and secure cyber-world and advance cybersecurity knowledge and skills through training and certification.
Speaking to Infosecurity, Dr. Casey Marks, chief product officer and vice president, (ISC)2, said that the HMRC approval is validation that mission of (ISC)2 to inspire a safe and secure cyber-world is of vital importance to the UK government.
“It means that our members are now recognized by the UK’s tax authority as serving an essential professional function and as such, they can claim tax relief on their annual fees,” he added. “It will also help some of our members recoup their membership fees, as some UK employers only reimburse professional memberships if they are part of the HMRC list. The HMRC approval essentially lightens the out-of-pocket costs that these skilled professionals pay and lets them focus on defending their organizations from attacks.
“We hope that the HMRC approval incentivizes more interested professionals to pursue certification with us and build careers focused on bolstering cybersecurity defenses in both the private and public sectors.”