SPARC: SIA's Technical End User Forum
What Is SPARC?
SPARC (Security Practitioners Advancing Real Conversations), and sometimes referred to as the SIA Technical End User Forum, is a new initiative of the Security Industry Association (SIA) that is designed to support end user technical practitioners with a network of technical professionals to deliver impact in the security technology industry and engage in technology standards and compliance.
At SPARC, we are a community of security professionals dedicated to advancing the state-of-the-art security technology. We provide our SPARC members with access to cutting-edge research, training and networking opportunities. We also work to influence the direction of security technology standards and compliance.
Our Mission
To support end user technical practitioners with a network of technical professionals, to deliver impact in the security technology industry direction, and engage in technology standards and compliance.
Our Vision
The advocacy of security industry end user experience, influence direction of security technology, and enhance industry optimization, interoperability, and data enablement.
Technical End User Forum consists of 3 bodies:
- Membership: Provides networking, group benchmark meetings, individualized benchmarking, and in-person meetings.
- Voice of the Industry: Engages with manufacturers, integrators, and specifiers to discuss industry needs, concerns, and expectations.
- Support Services: Provides SME support for core industry products and engages with standards and technical compliance projects.
Why Join SPARC
If you are a end user, practicing security professional who is seeking to share security best practices, collaboratively solve problems and feed off each other's ideas to better secure your organization and advance your professional growth, the SPARC community is right for you.
Our membership is only open to individuals and companies representing end users (active security practitioners) and excludes membership from vendors, suppliers, installing and support companies – allowing SPARC to have a private, end-user-only community for open sharing of ideas and technical feedback.
We meet virtually on a regular basis to explore technology implementation best practices and trends (e.g., mobile credentials, return-to-work impact to security, PKOC/open credentials, AI-driven opportunities, etc.). We also produce findings reports based on these conversations so that SPARC members have exclusive access to shared guidance and insights.
How SPARC Membership Works
We have options for both individual and end-user team memberships (corporate membership).
Individual membership dues are $250 per year., Membership ports with the individual upon change in employer
Corporate team membership dues are $600 per year for the base level, plus additional fees based on the number of security technical team members:
- $600 for 2-5 members
- $1,500 for 6-10 members
- $3,000 for 11-15 members
- $4,500+ for 16+ members (case by case based on total security technical team member count)
All memberships are a 365-day membership from your date of joining the SIA SPARC community.
Benefits of SPARC Membership
SPARC membership is only open to active end users. Your information and details are completely private and will not shared with any vendors.
Leadership Opportunities
- Eligibility to serve on the SIA Board of Directors or SIA Executive Advisory Board (providing strategic advice into SIA priorities, budget, and programs)
- Eligibility to serve on the WISF Steering Committee or RISE Steering Committee
- Eligibility to serve as a New Products and Solutions Judge (NPS)
- Eligibility to serve in SIA Standards Committee leadership positions
- Eligibility to serve on any SIA committee
Conference Access & Discounts
- Complimentary admission to SNG ($100 current individual CISO registration fees/$795 SIA vendor/member fee)
- Limited passes to the Women in Security Forum Security LEADHer Conference and/or AcceleRISE Conference ($395 value per registration).
- Access to exclusive networking space at ISC West and ISC East
Research Access
- Access to customized compliance/regulatory research by the SIA government relations team.
- Access to SIA commissioned research reports on emerging technologies and topics such as Proptech and market trends.
Training Discounts
- Discounted training for Security Project Management (SPM) and Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP) Bootcamp seminars
- Discounted registration for SIA on-demand technical training such as SIA Cornerstones and SIAcademy Live.
Let's SPARC something!
Interested in joining or learning more? Message us via the form above and our leadership and SIA staff supporting this emerginging community will be in touch!
SPARC Member-Only Portal Access
SPARC members: Log in with your SIA account for exclusive access to findings reports, schedule of upcoming meetings and initiatives and additional information and resources only available to you!
Meet our Volunteer Leaders
SPARC is led by volunteers who, like you, are passionate about sharing information and improving the knowledge and skills of technical end users. Our steering committee is comprised of the following volunteer leadership staff who support the strategy, focus, and engagement of the overall organization.
- Jonathan Aguila, Meta (Executive Sponsor; member, SIA Board of Directors and Executive Committee)
- Bobby Louissaint, Meta (Chair, SPARC)
- King Lam, Apple (Vice Chair, SPARC)
- Ruben Acivez, Microsoft
- Joe Gittens, Meta
- Dan Glick, Twillio
- Josh Heisler, Amazon
- David Hernandez, Disney
- Derik Hernandez, Meta
- Philip Jang, TikTok USDS
Ready to Join SPARC?
Let’s Get in Touch
Interested in joining SIA's SPARC community? Tell us a little about yourself and a SIA staff member will be in touch to follow up!
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