According to the association, whilst it already awards scholarships to support graduate level research to advance knowledge, the extended scheme will see it developing scholarships and awards at each level of the academic system, including high school, undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate sectors of academia.
The extended program, says the association, now includes two scholarships totalling up to $40,000 every year to qualifying undergraduate and graduate female applicants, the aim of which seeks to help fill the `global pipeline' of cybersecurity professionals.
Announcing the program extension, Julie Peeler, the (ISC)²'s foundation manager, said that the scheme aims to cultivate the next generation of cyber security professionals by providing educational tools that support the development of critical skills in today’s workforce.
“As the complexity and volume of cyber attacks increases, we will continue to offer scholarship opportunities that will further the recruiting and retaining of a new global workforce capable of preventing, detecting and responding to attacks on information systems”, she expained.
In parallel with the two female scholarship schemes, the plan is for the Foundation to award a number of $5,000 undergraduate scholarships to qualifying students enrolled at an accredited non-profit colleges or universities - who are pursuing a course of study and/or have a declared major with an Information Assurance concentration in one of the scientific, technical or managerial disciplines related to computer and network security.