ESET triples women in cybersecurity scholarship award to $15,000

Here at ESET, we believe that diversity is key to the success of any great company and community. That is why we are continuing our support of women in technology with the Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship. Today - on International Women’s Day - we are excited to announce that the award amount for this year’s Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship will triple to $15,000. ESET will award three young women $5,000 each. 

ESET believes that diversity and equality will only serve to advance cybersecurity and cyber-adjacent industries. According to the 2017 (ISC)² Global Information Security Workforce Study, there will be a shortfall of 1.8 million workers in cybersecurity by 2022. And today, women hold only 11 percent of cybersecurity roles globally.

Apply Now: Submissions are accepted from March 15, 2019 – April 15, 2019
 
“The ESET Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship is designed to encourage and empower women – an underrepresented segment of talent in the industry – to pursue a career in cybersecurity. It’s amazing to see how many young women are so passionate about this field and really want to do some good in the world with the technology skills that they are developing,” said Celeste Blodgett, vice president of human resources, ESET. “There is no doubt that the next scholarship winners will be future innovators and leaders in this space. If we can play a small part in helping, it makes what we do here at ESET worthwhile.”

Women bring different perspectives, viewpoints and approaches to problem-solving to the table. This diversity of perspectives is particularly critical for the future of technology, as ESET Senior Security Researcher Stephen Cobb highlighted in his recent TEDx talk (see the “white male effect” starting at 8:19), as well as for the future of our workforce, as ESET Security Researcher Lysa Myers has written about.

Not eligible to apply to this scholarship yourself? We encourage you to share this scholarship with your friends, family and neighbors.

REQUIREMENTS, DETAILS AND HOW TO APPLY
ESET will award three (3) young women a $5,000 scholarship to a female who is pursuing a college-level degree and aspires to have a career in cybersecurity.

How do I qualify for the scholarship?
You must be a female enrolled in or accepted to an accredited undergraduate or graduate program in the United States. (The graduate/undergraduate program does not have to be a “cybersecurity” program; however in your application you should make clear that you aspire to have a career in the cybersecurity industry.)

You must have a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA.
You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a permanent resident ID card.

What is the deadline for submission?
Submissions are accepted from March 15, 2019 – April 15, 2019, at 11:59pm PST

What do I submit / How do I submit my application?
Applicants must include the following as attachments to US-scholarship@eset.com with a subject line of "Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship":

•    Application and complete essay questions (DOWNLOAD HERE)
•    A copy of an unofficial transcript or acceptance letter as proof of enrollment.
•    One letter of recommendation, signed by the recommending party.

Do I need to know anything else?
•    Essays may be submitted in English or Spanish.

•    Finalists must participate in a phone interview to be considered for the award.

•    Finalists may be required to supply additional personal or professional references.
•    Judging is conducted by a panel of ESET staff including cybersecurity experts.

•    Finalists may be asked to provide a photo of themselves, which may be used for promotional purposes.

•    Winners may be asked to join ESET in-person to receive the scholarship on May 3rd, at a cybersecurity event in San Diego, Calif., with expenses for travel and lodging paid by ESET. Ability to travel is not a requirement for the award, and your receiving the award is not contingent upon your ability to travel to accept the award in person.

•    The three (3) $5,000 awards will be disbursed over the course of one year.
•    If the application or essays are illegible, it will not be considered.
•    Immediate family members or dependents of ESET employees are not eligible to participate.

What if I have more questions?
Please email us at US-scholarship@eset.com with any questions and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

When will you announce the winner?
The winner will be informed by April 10, 2018 and will be notified via email and phone.

About ESET
For over 30 years,ESET® has been developing industry-leading IT security software and services for businesses and consumers worldwide. With solutions ranging from endpoint and mobile security, to encryption and two-factor authentication, ESET’s high-performing, easy-to-use products give consumers and businesses the peace of mind to enjoy the full potential of their technology. ESET unobtrusively protects and monitors 24/7, updating defenses in real-time to keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. Evolving threats require an evolving IT security company. Backed by R&D centers worldwide, ESET becomes the first IT security company to earn100 Virus Bulletin VB100 awards, identifying every single “in-the-wild” malware without interruption since 2003. For more information visit www.eset.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.