University of Phoenix and the (ISC)2 Foundation Offer Nine Full-tuition Cybersecurity Scholarships
Scholarships Address the Need for Information Security Professionals
Clearwater, Fla. and PHOENIX, March 27, 2014 — University of Phoenix, a subsidiary of Apollo Education Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL), and the (ISC)2® Foundation, today announced they are offering nine full-tuition scholarships. (ISC)2 Foundation is the non-profit charitable trust for (ISC)2 that aims to empower students, teachers and the general public to secure their online lives with community cybersecurity education and awareness. The scholarships will provide education opportunities for individuals interested in entering or furthering their information security careers.
Each scholarship recipient will have the opportunity to complete an undergraduate or master's degree program at University of Phoenix and will receive a voucher from (ISC)2 to take either the SSCP® or CISSP® certification exam within one year of graduation.
(ISC)2 and University of Phoenix are both working to advance the skills of information technology and security professionals to address the growing skills gaps in these fields. The collaboration will also be reflected in curriculum that meets the needs of today's information security economy.
The (ISC)2 sixth annual Global Information Security Workforce Study (GISWS) revealed that the lack of skilled and qualified information security professionals is negatively affecting both companies and consumers and causing a global economic ripple effect. In fact, more than half (56 percent) of survey respondents indicated that the staffing shortage is significantly impacting their organizations. Security concerns indicated by respondents included brand damage, breaches of laws and regulations, service downtime, customer privacy violations, and customer identity and corporate intellectual property theft.
"Educating cybersecurity professionals should be one of the top global priorities," said Julie Peeler, director, (ISC)2 Foundation. "The profound staffing and skills shortages in this industry put organizations' reputations and customer data at risk. We are proud to collaborate with University of Phoenix to offer these scholarships and provide learning and career opportunities to the next generation of information security professionals."
"University of Phoenix is committed to providing degree programs and curriculum that reflect real industry needs," said Dr. Tim Welsh, senior vice president for Industry Strategy at Apollo Education Group. "There is a clear demand for information security professionals and the University is pleased to collaborate with (ISC)2, a globally renowned leader in the information security field, to directly align our education programs with industry staffing needs."
Applications for the University of Phoenix/(ISC)2 Cybersecurity Scholarships are currently being accepted. The deadline to apply is June 3, 2014. Each scholarship recipient will have the opportunity to complete an undergraduate or master's degree program at University of Phoenix and can choose to attend a local University of Phoenix campus or online. (ISC)2 will also provide recipients with a voucher to take either the SSCP or CISSP certification exam within one year of graduation. The exam voucher will be provided to the awarded recipients upon proof of graduation in an area of study with an emphasis on cybersecurity and/or information assurance. For scholarship terms and conditions or to learn more about the scholarship, visit www.phoenix.edu/isc2scholar.
To learn more about University of Phoenix efforts to better equip the workforce through innovative corporate alliances, learning tools and educational programs, visit phoenix.edu/industry.
About the (ISC)2® Foundation??
The (ISC)2 Foundation is a non-profit charitable trust that aims to empower students, teachers, and the general public to secure their online life by supporting cyber security education and awareness in the community through its programs and the efforts of its members. Through the (ISC)2 Foundation, (ISC)2's global membership of nearly 100,000 information and software security professionals seek to ensure that children everywhere have a positive, productive, and safe experience online, to spur the development of the next generation of cyber security professionals, and to illuminate major issues facing the industry now and in the future. For more information, please visit www.isc2cares.org.
About (ISC)2®
Formed in 1989 and celebrating its 25th anniversary, (ISC)2 is the largest not-for-profit membership body of certified information and software security professionals worldwide, with nearly 100,000 members in more than 135 countries. Globally recognized as the Gold Standard, (ISC)2 issues the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®) and related concentrations, as well as the Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional (CSSLP®), the Certified Cyber Forensics Professional (CCFPSM), Certified Authorization Professional (CAP®), HealthCare Information Security and Privacy Practitioner (HCISPPSM), and Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP®) credentials to qualifying candidates. (ISC)2's certifications are among the first information technology credentials to meet the stringent requirements of ISO/IEC Standard 17024, a global benchmark for assessing and certifying personnel. (ISC)2 also offers education programs and services based on its CBK®, a compendium of information and software security topics. More information is available at www.isc2.org.
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