CISA vs CISM: What's the Difference?

Quick Answer: CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) and CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) are two highly recognized information security certifications that focus on different areas of information security. CISA emphasizes auditing and ensuring the integrity of information systems, while CISM focuses on managing and overseeing an organization's information security policies.

Deciding how to further your career in cybersecurity is not easy. Two certifications often mentioned in the conversation are the CISA and the CISM, mainly because many consider them to be some of the most prestigious certifications for a cybersecurity professional. 

The CISA (Certified Information Security Auditor) and CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) are designed for different roles in information technology, so their individual focus is quite different. Each has its place for someone who wants to stay ahead of the latest cybersecurity threats, so there is no ‘best’ certification between the two. 

To help you make this decision, we want to provide as much information as possible. This article lays out all of the specifics of these certificates and who each is aimed at. By the end of this article, you will have a clear understanding of the differences between each certificate and which one is probably best for you.

CISA vs. CISM: Overview and Focus

CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) is a globally recognized certification that validates a candidate's expertise related to auditing, control, and security in information systems. It tests your ability to assess vulnerabilities, maintain compliance, and implement controls inside your organization’s IT infrastructure. CISA holders can evaluate threats and manage IT systems so that they maintain their confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA). 

The CISA exam covers:

• Auditing processes and standards

• Governance and management of IT

• Information systems acquisition, development, and implementation

• Information systems operations and business resilience

• Protection of information assets

CISM (Certified Information Security Manager) tests a different set of skills and knowledge that is still heavily related to cybersecurity but with a managerial focus. CISM holders are often in charge of an organization’s security program, which means they are responsible for creating, developing, managing, and overseeing all aspects of the program. 

Security policies need to line up with business objectives, which means that business operations can’t be negatively affected by the controls put in place by the CISM. As a CISM, you would be responsible for risk management, and compliance with standards and regulations.

The CISM certification focuses on :

• Information security governance

• Information risk management

• Information security program development and management

• Information security incident management

The focuses make it clear that CISM is designed for people in managerial and supervisory roles who look at the bigger picture of an organization’s security posture. This is because CISM roles don't necessarily focus on specific technical security issues that arise in the day-to-day running of information security operations. 

CISMs will have a background in information security and should generally have an understanding of the technical issues their team faces during an incident or an audit, even though they won’t be the ones to carry out the audit or mitigation themselves. Rather, CISMs are the point of contact for the executive team and can explain in business terms how an issue will affect operations.

CISA vs. CISM: Comparative Analysis

The CISA vs. CISM debate isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison because of the different segments of information security they reside in, but it is still useful to see how they differ. One way to do this is to look at the domains each certification covers and what is expected of a candidate who undertakes either of these exams.

Domain Coverage

CISA focuses on five domains:

• Information System Auditing Process

• Governance and Management of IT

• Information Systems Acquisition, Development, and Implementation

• Information Systems Operations and Business Resilience

• Protection of Information Assets

These domains focus on the auditing and assurance requirements of an organization’s information systems so that the CISA can manage risks and implement controls to mitigate them.

CISM covers four domains:

• Information Security Governance

• Information Risk Management

• Information Security Program Development and Management

• Information Security Incident Management

The managerial aspects of CISM are very clear, and they cover topics within each domain, such as security program development and oversight, risk management, and security incident response.

CISA vs. CISM Target Audience

Now that we know what the CISA covers, we can look at who would benefit from taking on this certification. If you are in any of the following or similar roles, then you might be a good fit for CISA certification:

• IT auditors

• Audit managers

• Information security analysts

• IT consultants

CISA hopefuls generally have knowledge or background in information systems, auditing, or cybersecurity, and want to go into a more specialized role that allows them to focus on information system security. Individuals pursuing CISA often have a background in auditing, information systems, or IT security and aim to specialize in ensuring the integrity and security of information systems.

On the other hand, CISM is targeted toward professionals who are responsible for managing and overseeing an organization's information security program. This may include:

• Information security managers

• IT security consultants

• Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs)

• Risk management professionals

CISM candidates typically have several years of experience in information security management and aim to take on leadership roles in developing and implementing security strategies aligned with business objectives.

CISA vs. CISM: Salary and Career Prospects

Pursuing either the CISM or CISA certification is a great way to break free of a career plateau if you have the experience for a more senior role but are finding it difficult to differentiate yourself from other candidates. Both CISA and CISM certifications can offer you significant growth potential. 

The great news is that demand for professionals with CISA and CISM certifications remains high in the job market right now. Companies continue to see the value of information security and the need for skilled information security professionals to keep their IT infrastructure and digital assets safe. Some of the main industries where demand is high include finance, healthcare, and government.

That doesn’t limit you to those fields, though. Both CISA and CISM professionals are in a position to explore career paths in any industries that have exposure to potential security threats and compliance or regulatory mandates, which is almost everyone. 

CISA graduates will see the most demand from organizations focusing on auditing, risk assessment, and compliance, while CISM holders can land opportunities in strategic and managerial roles, managing and overseeing information security departments across different sectors and markets.

CISA professionals can potentially move into adjacent roles like senior IT auditor, audit manager, or chief audit executive. CISM holders also have plenty of options, like advancing to positions such as information security manager, IT security consultant, or Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).

Whenever you consider progressing in your career, the question of salary naturally has to come up. For hopeful CISMs and CISAs there is a lot of earning potential once certified, with one caveat: experience. Experience isn’t unique to information security, or IT in general. In fact, most professions will have salary caps based on years of experience. With this in mind, let's look at what both CISAs and CISMs can expect to earn.

Using current sources like Glassdoor, Payscale, and Zip Recruiter, we can build an approximate salary scale depending on your work experience, the role, and information security skills for both CISM and CISA-related jobs.  

CISA Salary Estimates

Looking at payscale.com, some senior job roles that cater to CISA holders include:

Source

Glassdoor has similar figures, showing CISA salaries ranging from $106K to $197K, with the median being about $141K per year. Zip Recruiter shows the average salary for CISAs as somewhat lower, at around $109K annually. This range takes account of many different roles, ranging from intermediate to senior levels, which makes the variances in salaries fluctuate quite a bit.

CISM Salary Estimates

Payscale has some roles that advertise the CISM certification as a requirement:

Source

CISM salaries range from $97K to $180K, according to Glassdoor, while  Zip Recruiter has the widest gap from entry-level to senior roles that begin at $29K and top out at around $170K. One aspect that is clear from Glassdoor is that the location of the job is a big factor in potential salary. 

CISA vs. CISM: Exam Difficulty and Preparation

Both the CISA and CISM exams have a reputation for being thorough and tough to prepare for. They’ll test your knowledge in all the domains that we outlined in our exam breakdown. 

The ISACA Certification Exams Candidate Guide shows that the experience requirements for the CISA and CISM certifications are:

CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor):

• Five (5) or more years of experience in IS/IT audit, control, assurance, or security.

• Experience waivers are available for a maximum of three (3) years.

CISM (Certified Information Security Manager):

• Five (5) or more years of experience in information security management.

• Experience waivers are available for a maximum of two (2) years.

Both certifications require a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience to qualify for the exam. However, CISA allows up to 3 years of experience to be waived, while CISM allows up to 2 years to be waived based on certain conditions or qualifications.

Besides those requirements, the CISA and CISM exams themselves are also known for their depth of testing, and can be quite rigorous. They’ll test your knowledge and understanding of all the concepts and items listed in the domains of each exam, so study prep is really important when gearing up for either of these certs. 

That being said, exam difficulty is quite subjective, so how hard the exams are will depend on your experience in the field, the years you have been working, and how much time you put into learning all of the required material.

The CISA exam has 150 multiple-choice questions, which cover topics like auditing processes, governance and management of IT, as well as protection of information assets. The CISA exam gives candidates four hours to complete it. 

The CISM exam is the same on the question front, and has 150 multiple-choice questions that focus on information security governance, risk management, program development, and incident management. The CISM exam also has a four-hour time limit to finish the exam.

At the end of the day, the difficulty level of the CISA and CISM exams depends on how well you prepare and how much time you can dedicate to studying. Be sure to map out your study plan well in advance of your exam date. 

Choosing Between CISA and CISM

We have covered quite a bit of information about both exams, and hopefully you have a clearer picture of when each of these certs would be most applicable, given your own experience and technical expertise. 

If you want to specialize in auditing, assessing, and securing information systems, then CISA may be the better choice. Holding this certification shows that you can evaluate and protect IT systems while ensuring compliance with industry standards and that you know how to implement effective controls. CISA is really valuable for IT pros who are looking at roles like IT auditor, audit manager, or information security analyst.

If you see yourself as more of a strategic and managerial player in information security, then CISM will be far more suitable than CISA. CISM gives you the tools for developing and overseeing an organization's information security plans and allows you to align security considerations with business objectives. 

This allows you to manage risk and keep the company’s valuable IP safe from both internal and external threats through security policy measures. If you want to pursue roles like information security manager, IT security consultant, or Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) then CISM is a great option.

Whichever cert sounds best to you, always consider your current experience, and where your interests lie. If you are already working with auditing systems and have hands-on experience with information security mitigation and implementation, then CISA could make the most sense for you. If you are looking to manage a team and enjoy creating policy plans, then CISM would make sense for pursuing a leadership role in management.

Conclusion

Whichever path you decide to take, one thing is clear: CISA and CISM certifications stand out as two of the most prestigious and sought-after credentials in information security, for very different reasons. As you now know, each tests different aspects of information security and aims at quite different professional roles. 

No matter which of the two certifications you choose to take on, the process of continuous learning and skills development are all part of the journey into information security. 

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