Evanta Is Gartner.
We're Independent.
Evanta by Gartner is a real CISO community — 3,600 members, 34 regional groups, executive dinners. We respect that. But it is vendor-sponsored, Gartner analyst-driven, revenue-gated at $500M+, and owned by a $6 billion analyst firm with deep vendor relationships. That's a fundamentally different thing than an independent peer community.
We'll be direct: Evanta is a legitimate, well-run CISO community. If you're a CISO at a $500M+ company and you want Gartner analyst access baked into your peer community, Evanta is a real option. This page exists to explain the differences clearly — not to dismiss them. The question is whether you want a community shaped by Gartner and funded by vendors, or one that is fully independent and peer-led.
Six Dimensions That Matter
The differences between Evanta and CISO Network aren't about size — they're about structure, independence, and who the community actually serves.
Evanta by Gartner
Vendor sponsors pay to access members — sponsors are listed as "Thought Leaders" and "Community Sponsors"
CISO Network
No vendor sponsorship. Revenue comes from membership. Your peers are not your sponsors.
Evanta by Gartner
Gartner analysts shape the content, research, and discussion topics — you're consuming Gartner's framework
CISO Network
Practitioners drive everything. No analyst overlay. No Magic Quadrant agenda.
Evanta by Gartner
$500M+ revenue (private sector) or 1,000+ employees (public sector). Excludes most CISOs.
CISO Network
Vetted by role and experience — not by your employer's revenue. CISOs from $50M companies belong here too.
Evanta by Gartner
3,600 CISOs across 34 regional communities — averaging ~106 per community
CISO Network
6,500+ vetted CISOs in a single unified network — 90% Fortune 1000 representation
Evanta by Gartner
Event-based: Executive Summits, Inner Circle dinners, virtual Town Halls — structured programs
CISO Network
Always-on: private community feed, direct messaging, Ask the Network Q&A, Threat Compass — 24/7
Evanta by Gartner
Owned by Gartner, Inc. — a $6B+ analyst and advisory firm with deep vendor relationships
CISO Network
Independent since 2005. No parent company. No analyst firm. No vendor relationships.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | CISO Network | Evanta / Gartner |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor-neutral (no sponsor access to members) | ||
| Peer-led agenda (no analyst overlay) | ||
| Open to all CISO levels (not revenue-gated) | ||
| 6,500+ members | ||
| Always-on private community platform | ||
| In-person executive dinners | ||
| Independent (no parent company) | ||
| Active since 2005 | ||
| Vendor intelligence tools (Anti-Gartner Suite) | ||
| Real-time threat intel sharing |
The Vendor Sponsor Problem
Evanta's community sponsors — listed publicly as "Global Thought Leader," "CISO Thought Leaders," and community-level sponsors — pay for access to CISO members. That's the business model. It's transparent, and it's how Evanta funds the community.
The consequence is structural: the vendors who pay to be in the room shape what the room looks like. The "Thought Leader" designation goes to the highest-paying sponsors. The research agenda reflects Gartner's commercial interests. The community exists, in part, to serve the vendors who fund it.
CISO Network has never taken a dollar from a vendor to provide access to members. Our Vendor Intelligence Suite exists to help CISOs evaluate vendors — not to help vendors sell to CISOs. That's a structural difference that compounds over 20 years.
Independent Since 2005. Still the Largest.
6,500+ vetted CISOs. No vendor sponsors. No Gartner analyst overlay. No revenue gate. Just security executives talking to security executives — the way it should be.
Apply for MembershipVetted by role · Vendor-neutral · Independent since 2005