Now more than ever, cybersecurity is a top-of-mind issue for business, students, and even United States presidential candidates. With billions of bytes of data connecting to the Internet every day, our information needs more protection and security than ever before.
For more than 47 percent of businesses surveyed by Global Knowledge, IT security is a hiring priority; by 2019, there will be a global shortage of two million cybersecurity professionals. And for students looking to break into the industry, IT security represents a tremendous opportunity; the same survey found that cybersecurity careers are the third-highest paying jobs in all of IT.
Omar Shaban, Director, Global Operations Cisco Networking Academy, recognizes the growing need for talent all around the world. “At a macro level, any country you go to, developed or developing, talk to the minister of labor or the president, and there are three top-of-mind areas,” he said. “One is security, physical and cyber, two is around the creation of jobs, and three is around education.”
That’s why in June, Cisco announced a new $10 million Global Cybersecurity Scholarship. The goal of the program, which officially launched in August, is to create 10,000 new cybersecurity jobs. More than that, it’s goal is to prepare students, professionals, and those looking to re-skill with the necessary certifications and knowledge to thrive in today’s digital economy.
Shaban believes the program is essential in the face of digitization. “It is changing industries,” he said. “Every engineer in healthcare and every electrician will need to know something about networking. It will create new jobs and change existing jobs.”
As part of the program, Cisco will invest $10 million in updating curriculum, providing new, cybersecurity-specific courses, and delivering the coursework to students around the globe. Students commit to a three-month training program, which includes:
- Access to 2 online, instructor-led courses with assessments
- Mentoring to prepare for the brand new CCCNA Cyber Ops certification exam
- Waived exam fees
“The scholarship is a great opportunity to take all of the wonderful things we’re doing in the Cisco Networking Academy and the Cisco Learning Network and expand on them,” Shaban said. “We’re providing new students and students who have finished an even more advanced-level of training advanced opportunities for in-demand careers.”
If you are at least 18 years old, proficient in English, and planning a career in IT cybersecurity, apply for the scholarship today!
Hi, my name is Cristian Cerdas Arias a student of the University of Costa Rica, I’m taking the CCNA 3 and preparing myself for the CCENT certification, along this way I’ve learning a lot of things how every layer work, types of cables, connections between devices, basic configuration then I started to know about protocols like OSPF, EIGRP, RIP, NAT, PAT, VLANS, SUB INTERFACES, ETHERCHANNEL, STP, ACL’S and a little of security now I’m learning how to a very good design on network I’m learning about every feature device that CISCO offers and so many other things, I’m really happy cause I’m doing my best and I love what I do everyday of my life I’ll finish the CCNA 3 in less than a month and pretend to continue this wonderful path, cyber security is one of the things I really would like to learn it very well and I’m concern that there are so many institutions around the world in need of a professional on cyber security… My name is Christian Cerdas Arias from Costa Rica and I would love to take part in this new opportunity, thank you so much..
Hi Cristian. Thank you for the comment and good luck with your certification exam! If you’d like to take part in the Scholarship, please follow the link at the end of the story or click here: https://mkto.cisco.com/Security-Scholarship
Cyber ops cert is such a great ideal, want to be part of this great movement….!!!
Hi Kudzai, thank you! We’re happy you’d like to join the movement. Please follow the link at the end of the blog to learn more or click here and apply: https://mkto.cisco.com/Security-Scholarship
HI, when will the assessment information be emailed to the applicants? The last email indicated that we will be taking the assessment in mid-August, but now it is already the end of August.
Thank you,
-SB
Please check your junk mail folder.
Hi,when will you publish the winners of the scholarships?
Thank you
I’m so excited
Hello, I recently signed up for the Cybersecurity scholarship and received an email stating that I would be invited to complete an assessment in mid August. I believe that I received another email but for some reason it went into my junk mail folder and was deleted before I had a chance to read it. Are you able to confirm if the email was sent out and if so would it be possible to forward it to me again?
Many Thanks
Steve
I like to know when are we going to hear from cisco about assessment dates and how the program will starts, because some of us we have daily jobs
Great post Austin! I’m very excited about this opportunity. Do you know when they’re going to start contacting entrants so they can take the assessments? I received an email last month stating it would happen in mid-August but I haven’t heard anything yet. Did they start yet?
When are you going to publish the winners for this scholarship? Please provide information about when and where is going to be published?
i have registered to the cybersecurity scholarship,but no response from cisco ,does anyone got the update regarding the date or related to it ..
Hello,
I am very eager to have the opportunity to apply for this scholarship because I am extremely interested in pivoting into a cyber security job.
The last email that I received from Cisco indicated that applicants would receive an email with next steps to take an assessment test in mid-August.
It is now almost the end of August. Has the scholarship training program been delayed?
I am eager and dedicated to participate, learn, and study.
Please let me know if the program has been delayed and if the instructions for taking the assessment test are going to be emailed to us soon.
Thank you,
-SB
Have you checked your Junk email folder?
Hello, my name is Herzan Francisco Huerta Carcache a student at the National University of Engineering Managua, Nicaragua, I am currently taking the course CCNA 2 and preparing for CCENT certification. My name is Herzan Carcache Francisco Huerta and would love to participate in this new opportunity, thank you very much.
waiting and waiting pleases let us now what is the next step because we cant wait for long
Hi,
I had sent a request for scholarship. And the last mail I received from Cisco stated that I will receive a mail mid-August for assessment. But I haven’t received any mail yet. Any updates anyone? 🙂
Is the basic competency certifications( one or more), as mentioned in FAQ, mandatory for this scholarship?
Will there be any marks for the certifications in scholarship selection process?
Is the selection process only depends on the outcome of the test?
As I have completed Masters degree in Information Security? Will there be any marks for qualification related to information or cyber security?
This programme is based on elearning and self study, what will be the role of training/Cisco education partner in this study programme?
If anyone have some information,please share.
Thanks in advance.