BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SANS Institute (SANS), the global leader in cyber security training and certifications, announced that applications are now open for the SANS + HBCU Cyber Academy, the first-ever nationwide cybersecurity scholarship academy in partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Applications for the nationwide SANS + HBCU Cyber Academy will be open throughout all Black History Month and accepted until March 1, 2022. The SANS + HBCU Cyber Academy provides scholarships to currently enrolled junior, senior, and graduate students of HBCUs and HBCU alumni who have a passion for cybersecurity and a desire to pursue a career in the field. Classes will begin in April 2022 after all applications have been processed and scholarships have been awarded.

"Considering and pursuing a cybersecurity career can feel like a bridge too far to cross, can feel too challenging and difficult, when surrounded by people who don't look like you. SANS Institute is determined to change that perspective," said Dennis Scandrett, Chair of the SANS Institute Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Task Force.

Today, nearly 600,000 cybersecurity jobs remain unfilled across the United States. However, only 4 percent of the cybersecurity workforce self-identifies as Black, according to the Aspen Institute's September 2021 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Cybersecurity report. The SANS + HBCU Cyber Academy creates an enormous opportunity to both diversify the cybersecurity industry and increase workforce supply by bringing more Black professionals into the field, amidst rising demand.

"Pop culture has led many to believe that cybersecurity isn't for them—that you must fit into this stereotypical prototype with a background in computer science. Nothing could be farther from the truth," said Delisha Hodo, SANS Institute HBCU Chair. "The truth is that we need to fill the rapidly increasing cybersecurity workforce demand with individuals from all backgrounds. Now is the time to diversify the industry to improve its future and upend this misconception."

The SANS + HBCU Cyber Academy is designed to fast-track career pathways, with a core curriculum that provides students with the fundamental skills needed for a cybersecurity career, and teaches fundamentals in computers, technology, networking, and security. These courses also instruct students how to create a security program that is built on a foundation of detection, response, and prevention. Students in the program are required to complete three courses and must complete each course and certification in twelve weeks.

"The SANS + HBCU Cyber Academy furthers our mission of building the bridge that diversifies cyber, by providing new opportunities to those who aspire to join the workforce," said Mr. Scandrett.

To apply to the SANS + HBCU Cyber Academy and review eligibility requirements, click here.

About SANS Institute
The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. Today, SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of cybersecurity training and certification to professionals in government and commercial institutions world-wide. Renowned SANS instructors teach more than 60 courses at in-person and virtual cybersecurity events and on demand. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates practitioner skills through more than 35 hands-on, technical certifications in cybersecurity. The SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent subsidiary, offers master's and bachelor's degrees, graduate certificates, and an undergraduate certificate in cybersecurity. SANS Security Awareness, a division of SANS, provides organizations with a complete and comprehensive security awareness solution, enabling them to manage their "human" cybersecurity risk easily and effectively. SANS also delivers a wide variety of free resources to the InfoSec community including consensus projects, research reports, webcasts, podcasts, and newsletters; it also operates the Internet's early warning system–the Internet Storm Center. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners, representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to support and educate the global information security community. www.sans.org

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SOURCE SANS Institute