“They aren’t ineffective, however they need to now not be handled as alerts of senior security management,” Hen says.
Different credentials which might be much less helpful as differentiators for CISOs in 2026 embrace single-vendor, product-specific certifications. Deep experience in a single particular firewall or endpoint answer might need been worthwhile previously, however for somebody in a CISO function, it simply doesn’t carry loads of weight.
“On the CISO degree, it’s not often decisive now, architectures are heterogeneous, and we’re more and more shopping for platform outcomes, not hero merchandise,” Argyle says. “These certs are high quality for specialists, however they don’t transfer the needle a lot for an govt.”
Programs that focus purely on memorizing requirements and passing exams — with out requiring individuals to grapple with real-world trade-offs — are additionally of diminishing worth on the govt degree. “As a CISO you’re anticipated to show compliance into outcomes, not simply recite clauses from a regular,” Argyle says.
For CISOs, although, certifications are essential however not adequate. They must be backed by expertise. Employers are on the lookout for leaders who can run security programmes end-to-end, make powerful trade-offs beneath strain, handle incidents with confidence, and interact with the board with confidence. In a aggressive job market, an extended checklist of certifications received’t get anybody far until it’s backed by real-world expertise.
