Is Infosec Institute Legit? What the Evidence Shows in 2026

Yes, Infosec Institute is a real, established training company, not a fly-by-night scam. It was founded in 2004, Cengage bought it for $191 million in 2022, and the Better Business Bureau rates it A+. Whether it’s worth your money is a different question, and the evidence on that is a lot less flattering.

I’m not neutral here. I paid for an Infosec boot camp and it went badly, which is why this site exists. So rather than ask you to take my word for anything, this page sticks to what you can check yourself: the company’s own owner’s filings, public reviews, and the Better Business Bureau. Every claim links to its source.

Is Infosec Institute a real company?

Yes. Cengage’s January 31, 2022 announcement of the acquisition says Infosec has operated “since its founding in 2004” and quotes Jack Koziol as “CEO and Founder of Infosec.” Cengage completed the $191 million purchase on March 1, 2022. The BBB lists Infosec Institute, Inc. in Madison, Wisconsin, with an A+ rating, though it is not BBB accredited. Today Infosec sells three product lines, which Cengage’s annual report names as Infosec Bootcamps, Infosec IQ (security awareness training) and Infosec Skills (an online training library).

Infosec also has industry recognition: in March 2026 Cengage announced that Infosec was named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for IT training services for the third time in a row. That’s worth knowing, because it tells you this isn’t a company with no customers or credibility. It also doesn’t tell you how any individual boot camp went.

What does Infosec advertise?

As of October 7, 2026, Infosec’s CISSP boot camp page lists a six-day course for $4,399, live online, in person or onsite for teams, with an exam voucher, practice exams and a 90-day Infosec Skills subscription. It shows a 4.7 rating from 8,738 ratings and says it has served more than 17,000 CISSP students. Those figures are Infosec’s own and haven’t been independently audited. The page also says Infosec’s programs are “all backed by our 93% pass rate and expert instruction.” That wording sits in general navigation covering more than 60 certification programs, so it isn’t a CISSP-specific pass rate, and Infosec doesn’t publish how it’s calculated.

Then why do so many people say Infosec Institute sucks?

Because a lot of individual students describe the same problems, across many years and many certifications. I’ve collected them, with links, on separate pages:

• Whole classes failing while a high pass rate was advertised. Reviewers on PissedConsumer describe a 2015 MCSA class where “0 passed the test” and an MCSE class where “only one person passed the test out of 12 students,” against an advertised “93%+ pass rate.” All 18 PissedConsumer reviews, summarized.
• Outdated materials. Reddit users reported outdated course material for the CISSP in 2025 and for Red Hat’s RHCSA in 2025, and “very outdated” practice questions in 2020. What Reddit users say.
• Fine print on the exam pass guarantee. Students consistently report needing 90% or better on long practice exams to qualify. How the guarantee works, according to students.
• Employee allegations. An anonymous November 2025 Glassdoor review alleges Infosec “Laid off half the company summer 2025.” That’s one unverified claim, not an announcement. What employees say on Glassdoor.
• Slow refunds. The one BBB complaint in the last three years is about a refund that took more than four months to arrive.

What does Infosec’s own owner say about the business?

This is the part I find hardest to argue with, because it comes from Cengage itself. Cengage’s annual report for the year ended March 31, 2026 records “the full write-off of our Infosec reporting unit goodwill,” a $101.6 million charge, plus $62.4 million written off Infosec’s other intangible assets. The same report says Infosec revenue fell $6.1 million last year, “primarily reflecting $4.6 million of weakness in our Bootcamp offerings.” On a February 2026 earnings call, Cengage’s CFO said Infosec was “down year-on-year” and that Cengage was “managing costs” in the business. The full write-off story.

Does anyone have a good experience?

Yes. A student who took the CompTIA CySA+ boot camp in April 2023 reported that 5 of 6 classmates passed. On Reddit, a 2026 CISSP candidate rated Infosec’s virtual boot camp 8 out of 10, and a 2025 CISA candidate “had a great experience.” A pattern runs through many of the good reviews: the employer paid, the student studied heavily on their own as well, and the guarantee was a safety net rather than the plan.

So should you sign up?

If your employer is paying and you plan to do the real studying yourself, you may be fine. If it’s your own money, I wouldn’t, at least not before you get three things in writing: the actual pass rate for your exact course and how it’s calculated, every condition attached to the exam pass guarantee, and the refund terms. And check whether the provider appears on the certifying body’s own partner list; for the CISSP, here’s ISC2’s official North American partner list.

Frequently asked questions

Is Infosec Institute a scam?

No. Infosec Institute is a real company founded in 2004 and owned by Cengage since 2022, with an A+ BBB rating. The complaints about it are about the quality of its training and the gap between its marketing and students’ results, not about it being fake.

Who owns Infosec Institute?

Cengage, which bought Infosec for $191 million in March 2022. Cengage in turn is controlled by affiliates of Apollo, Apax, KKR and Searchlight Capital Partners, according to its annual report. More on Infosec’s ownership.

Is Infosec Institute an official ISC2 training partner?

Infosec Institute does not appear on ISC2’s official list of North American training partners that I checked. See the list and check ISC2’s site yourself before you buy.

What is the Infosec Institute pass rate?

Infosec does not publish how its pass-rate figures are calculated. Its site advertises a 93% pass rate across more than 60 programs, not specific to any one course. Reviewers report being quoted 93%, 94%, 95% and 99% at different times, and several describe classes where most or all students failed.

Did Cengage write off Infosec Institute?

Cengage wrote off all of Infosec’s goodwill, $101.6 million, during its fiscal year ended March 31, 2025, plus $62.4 million of Infosec’s other intangible assets, according to its annual report.

Sources

• Cengage Group, “Cengage Group to Acquire Infosec,” January 31, 2022: cengagegroup.com
• Cengage Group, “Cengage Group Completes Acquisition of Infosec,” March 1, 2022: cengagegroup.com
• Cengage, Inc., Annual Report for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026: cengage.widen.net
• Better Business Bureau, Infosec Institute, Inc., Madison, WI: bbb.org
• Cengage press release on the IDC MarketScape ranking, March 19, 2026: cengagegroup.com
• Infosec Institute, CISSP boot camp page, as retrieved October 7, 2026: infosecinstitute.com
• PissedConsumer, Infosec Institute reviews: pissedconsumer.com