Certification Profile: Ben Brown, CPP, PSP 

Ben Brown, CPP, PSP, served in the U.S. Navy for five years before entering the security industry. Upon retiring from the military, Brown was not sure where his path would lead, but he ended up finding a life and a career in security.

Shortly after entering the security field, Brown was introduced to ASIS through his local chapter in Washington state. Soon after, Brown immersed himself into the ASIS community, and particularly into the subject-area communities (called councils at the time). One of the first communities Brown joined was the Young Professionals (now NextGen), which helped him meet other peers early in their security careers.

Perhaps the most impactful of Brown’s volunteer experiences was one of his earliest—helping with the development of the Associate Protection Professional (APP®) certification.

“I am passionate about volunteering in roles that enhance the security body of knowledge, and those that contribute to advancing security as a respected profession,” Brown says.

Following his experience with developing the APP certification, Brown also volunteered as a member of the technical committees for the Physical Asset Protection standard, ESRM guideline, and Risk Assessment guideline. He has also been a member of the Defense and Intelligence, Physical Security, and NextGen communities, and the Critical Infrastructure Working Group.

“The early council and technical committee work brought me to the forefront of developing doctrine and standards, helping me personally grow,” says Brown.

Brown now volunteers as the director of the ASIS Professional Certification Board (PCB), which manages the certification programs by assuring that standards are developed and maintained, quality assurance is in place and that the test accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities of security professionals in the areas of security management, investigations, and physical security.

In 2020, Brown decided to seek the Certified Protection Professional (CPP®) certification in order to bolster his credibility in the security industry.

“I chose to sit for the CPP exam because I already had the knowledge and sought to have the formal credential which would publicly validate that,” Brown says.

Shortly after completing his certification, Brown was hired for his current position as senior special security operations program manager at Microsoft. In this role, Brown oversees security policy and strategy planning for a unique portfolio of Microsoft data centers.

Two years later, Brown earned the Physical Security Professional (PSP®) certification to further his professional development and learn more about the certification itself to make him a more knowledgeable volunteer on certification—and specifically PSP—initiatives.

Through his many volunteer roles during the course of his membership, Brown has formed countless connections, both professional and personal. He has also been able to advance his career with the knowledge he has gained through these connections and the content he has both consumed and developed.

"My membership has enabled me to meet and befriend countless professionals around the world who have contributed to my knowledge and growth,” says Brown. “It has also given me numerous opportunities to volunteer and help bolster the credibility of security management as a profession. My favorite part of membership is definitely the opportunity to serve on voluntary initiatives with diverse peer groups.”

Emily Callahan is a communications specialist for ASIS International. Connect with her on LinkedIn here.