Workforce Readiness

Women's Cybersecurity Training Program Expands with Google Support

• By Rhea Kelly
• 07/21/21

Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS), an organization devoted to recruiting, retaining and advancing women in the cybersecurity field, has expanded its Cybersecurity Training Scholarship Program thanks to funding from Google, Facebook and Bloomberg.

Established last year in partnership with Google and the SANS Institute to offer WiCyS members training resources during the pandemic, the 10-month program introduces fundamental cybersecurity concepts through interactive challenges such as Capture the Flag and the SANS CyberStart Game. Topics covered include Linux, web attacks, programming, forensics and more. The program's networking component enables participants to access mentor and peer support, share best practices and receive insights from security experts and industry leaders.

As the program advances, select qualifying participants move on to higher-level training and certification opportunities. Last year, more than 900 people applied for the program; 445 participated in the Capture the Flag phase; 116 moved on to the CyberStart game; and 15 received full scholarships for advanced training and certification.

"We are thrilled to scale the program this year, powered by scholarships from Google, Bloomberg, and Facebook," said Lynn Dohm, WiCyS executive director, in a statement. "Now, 38 WiCyS members will be able to dive deep and change the trajectory of their career in less than a year, all within a cohort setting with extensive support and resources provided by mentors and colleagues. That's what empowerment looks like, and we are thrilled that these three incredible strategic partners of WiCyS can make this happen for not only the WiCyS community, but also for the sake of the cybersecurity workforce at large."

Applications close on Aug. 2, 2021. For more information, visit the WiCyS site.