Infosec Awards $130,000 in Security Education Scholarships to Help Close Cyber Skills and Diversity Gap

September 14, 2021

Thirteen cybersecurity professionals awarded lifetime access to hands-on cybersecurity training.

MADISON, WI, September 14, 2021 Infosec today announced 13 recipients of the 2021 Infosec Accelerate Scholarship. Established in 2018 to encourage new talent to join the cybersecurity industry and close the growing skills gap, the program awards lifetime access to Infosec Skills to help recipients launch and advance their cybersecurity careers. 

“Both the cyber skills gap and diversity of talent are longstanding challenges for the cybersecurity industry. Infosec is proud to help close this gap, encourage diversity across our industry and empower cybersecurity professionals through experiential, role-guided education,” said Jack Koziol, Infosec CEO and founder. “This year’s applicants displayed true passion and aptitude, capturing the heart of the cybersecurity industry and representing the exceptional professionals who work around the clock to keep individuals and organizations secure. Gaining lifetime access to Infosec Skills breaks down one of the industry’s largest barriers to entry — the high cost of cybersecurity education.”

2021 Infosec Accelerate Scholarship winners are: 

Infosec Accelerate Women Scholarship 

  • Rachel Jones
  • Edelia McDaniel
  • Oriana Lau

Infosec Accelerate BIPOC Scholarship 

  • La'Neyshia Drew
  • Armaan Kapoor
  • Jorge Almengor

Infosec Accelerate Military and Veteran Scholarship 

  • Ryan Bardes
  • Ryan Gordon
  • Hugh Shepherd

Infosec Accelerate LGBTQI+ Scholarship 

  • Steff Allen

Infosec Accelerate Undergraduate Scholarship 

  • Olivia Gallucci 
  • Tyson Rhodes
  • Chanthea Quinland

Infosec’s technical skill development platform, Infosec Skills, includes over 1,200 resources to assess teams and close skills gaps with hands-on cyber ranges, projects and courses. Scholarship recipients have access to the newly released Infosec Skills cyber range, where cyber professionals can learn to defend against MITRE ATT&CK® Matrix for Enterprise tactics and techniques, perform penetration tests and write secure code hands-on. Labs inside the cyber ranges guide learners through realistic scenarios inside the operating environments they’d encounter on the job — with clear learning objectives and actionable lessons.

“Infosec Skills helps demystify cybersecurity careers by aligning all training resources to the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity and the MITRE ATT&CK® Matrix. Empowering this year’s scholarship recipients with a professional development roadmap through Infosec Skills will help them identify and build the knowledge and skills required for dozens of cybersecurity roles,” said Koziol. 

Scholarship recipients will also receive complimentary access to the Infosec Inspire User Conference, where they will be recognized. The only virtual event of its kind, Inspire is hyper-focused on building a culture of security — equipping cybersecurity leaders with knowledge and insights to develop employee cyber skills, strengthen security awareness and make a lasting impact. Learn more about Infosec Inspire here.

 

About Infosec

Infosec is the leading cybersecurity education company helping IT and security professionals advance their careers and empowering employees to be cyber-safe at work and home. Its mission is to equip individuals and organizations with the knowledge and skills to outsmart cybercrime confidently. More than 70% of the Fortune 500 have relied on Infosec Skills to develop their security talent and teams, and over five million learners worldwide are more cyber-resilient from Infosec IQ’s security awareness and phishing training. Follow Infosec on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Infosec’s Resources Blog for the latest news, or visit infosecinstitute.com for more information.

 

Infosec Media Contact

Kate Rodgers

Director of Brand

608-243-7765 (call or text) 

kate.rodgers@infosecinstitute.com

Contact Information

Jeff Peters

jeff.peters@cengage.com