Infosec Awards $120,000 in Security Education Scholarships to Help Close Cyber Skills/Diversity Gap

FREEHOLD, N.J. - Sept. 14, 2021 - PRLog -- Infosec today announced 12 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 JonesEdelia McDanielOriana Lau
Infosec Accelerate BIPOC Scholarship La'Neyshia DrewArmaan KapoorJorge Almengor
Infosec Accelerate Military and Veteran Scholarship Ryan BardesRyan GordonHugh Shepherd
Infosec Accelerate LGBTQI+ Scholarship Steff Allen
Infosec Accelerate Undergraduate Scholarship Olivia GalluciTyson RhodesChanthea 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.