WiCyS Security Training Scholarship
In partnership with the SANS Institute, WiCyS is proud to offer the Security Training Scholarship made possible by WiCyS Tier 1 Partners and Premier Supporters.
The WiCyS Security Training Scholarship made possible by WiCyS Tier 1 Partners and Premier Supporters is a multi-tiered scholarship opportunity for WiCyS members. Those selected will participate in a reliable pathway to launch and advance in their cybersecurity careers through skills development. The focus of this scholarship is to award WiCyS members who are seeking cybersecurity employment within the next 1.5 years. The program is designed for students and/or career changers! Only first time applicants will be accepted.
Build and leverage the power of community. During each tier of the scholarship, a cohort is established with mentors and peers to help guide and support recipients. This powerful network will be there through every step of the scholarship experience to lean in on. The collective strength of all involved is priceless.
Military Preference. WiCyS is proud to support active-duty military members, veterans, and military-affiliated applicants. All military applicants automatically receive a 5-point preference on their application essay score. This point addition is factored into your essay evaluation and remains active at every review tier throughout the selection process.
Graduates of the program will be ready to pursue careers in cybersecurity!
This program is open to all WiCyS members age 18 and older. Only new applicants will be accepted, and they must be prepared to enter the job market within 18 months of starting the program. Each tier has specific eligibility requirements, and advancement is based on application essay and tier performance.
What Makes this Program Unique:
- Finds hidden cybersecurity talent
- Elevates those with aptitude, grit, and determination
- Empowers all participants with real-world skills they can continue to build upon
- Changes lives by enabling final-tier participants to start cybersecurity jobs in less than a year of completion
- Provides direct impact on the cybersecurity workforce by launching careers
- If your company/organization is interested in being a premier supporter of the Security Training Scholarship, please fill out the form at the link below:
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Tier 1: SANS Beginner-level CTF
All eligible applicants will be invited to participate in the SANS Beginner-level CTF. This beginner-level CTF is a fun and exciting way to practice cybersecurity skills in a friendly environment. This multi-disciplined Capture the Flag system has over 28 content packs and a variety of engaging challenges for participants to discover their strengths while challenging their limits. If new to cybersecurity, Beginner-level CTF is a great place to start as it teaches while challenges are being solved with an integrated hint system.
At the end of Tier 1: 400 candidates will advance to Tier 2
Next Tier/Tier 2 Selection Criteria:
- Application essay
- Performance and Engagement in SANS Beginner-level CTF
- Community engagement in the cohort
Tier 2: SANS Skills Quest
A select number of participants will be invited to advance to the SANS Skills Quest, a hands-on, gamified learning experience designed to build real-world cybersecurity capabilities. Following structured learning paths, participants complete guided, objective-based tasks and interactive labs in an active learning environment.
Whether you are completely new to cybersecurity or seeking to expand your existing knowledge, the Skills Quest empowers you to develop practical skills, solve dynamic challenges, and gain a clearer understanding of potential career pathways in cybersecurity.
At the end of Tier 2: Approximately 45 candidates will advance to Stage 3
Next Tier/Tier 3 Selection Criteria:
- Application Essay: Quality and relevance of your submitted application essay.
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SANS Skills Quest Performance: Completion of guided learning paths, accuracy on objective-based tasks, and hands-on lab performance during the gamified Skills Quest challenges.
Note on Program Capacity: The number of candidates selected to advance to subsequent tiers is contingent upon available program funding and partner support for each cohort cycle.
Tier 3: SEC275/GFACT & Pre-Assessment
Participants will be invited to participate in the SEC275/Foundations course, a pre-assessment, and the GFACT certification exam. SEC275 is an online, interactive, hands-on learning program that includes 59 modules of foundational material that students generally struggle to learn without it, which is essential for advanced cybersecurity training and technical cybersecurity roles. Participants will acquire a strong understanding of devices and networks while rapidly progressing into the key concepts of protecting digital components. The fundamentals of Windows, Linux, and programming in two languages widely used by cybersecurity professionals are taught. The course culminates with active labs that introduc
Participants in this tier will also be invited to complete the GFACT certification. This certification validates a practitioner’s knowledge of essential foundational cybersecurity concepts. GFACT-certified
Next Tier Advancement Criteria:
- Successful completion of Tier 3
Tier 4: Course 2 SEC401/GSEC
These recipients will dive deeper into their cybersecurity coursework by continuing in advanced SANS training courses.
SEC401 Course and GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) certification
SEC401 is an interactive hands-on training course. The following is a sample of the lab activities that students will carry out:
- Set up a virtual lab environment
- Conduct tcpdump network analysis
- Use Wireshark to decode network traffic
- Crack passwords
- Use hashings to verify the integrity of digital evidence
- Analyze networks with hping3 and Nmap
- Steganography
- Secure and audit a Windows system against a security template
The GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) certification validates a practitioner’s knowledge of information security beyond simple terminology and concepts. GSEC certification holders are demonstrating that they are qualified for hands-on IT systems roles with respect to security tasks.
- Active defense, defense in depth, access control & password management
- Cryptography: basic concepts, algorithms and deployment, and application
- Defensible network architecture, networking & protocols, and network security
- Incident handling & response, vulnerability scanning and penetration testing
- Linux security: structure, permissions, & access; hardening & securing; monitoring & attack detection; & security utilities
- Security policy, contingency plans, critical controls and IT risk management
- Web communication security, virtualization and cloud security, and endpoint security
- Windows: access controls, automation, auditing, forensics, security infrastructure, & securing network services
Next Tier Advancement Criteria: Successful completion of Tier 4
Tier 5: Course 3 SEC504/GCIH & SEC411 + Post-Assessment
These recipients will dive deeper into their cybersecurity coursework by continuing in advanced SANS training courses.
Course 3: SEC504 Course and GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) certification
SEC504 is for individuals who lead or are a part of an incident handling team. General security practitioners, system administrators, and security architects will benefit by understanding how to design, build, and operate their systems to thwart attacks. Participants will learn:
- How to best prepare for an eventual breach
- The step-by-step approach used by many computer attackers
- Proactive and reactive defenses for each tier of a computer attack
- How to identify active attacks and compromises
- The latest computer attack vectors and how you can stop them
- How to properly contain attacks
- How to ensure that attackers do not return
- How to recover from computer attacks and restore systems for business
- How to understand and use hacking tools and techniques
- Strategies and tools to detect each type of attack
- Application-level vulnerabilities, attacks, and defenses
- How to develop an incident handling process and prepare a team for battle
- Legal issues in incident handling
The GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) certification validates a practitioner’s ability to detect, respond, and resolve computer security incidents using a wide range of essential security skills. GCIH certification holders have the knowledge needed to manage security incidents by understanding common attack techniques, vectors and tools, as well as defend against and respond to such attacks when they occur. Areas covered are:
- Incident Handling and Computer Crime Investigation
- Computer and Network Hacker Exploits
- Hacker Tools (Nmap, Nessus, Metasploit and Netcat)
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2026 – 2027 Cohort Timeline
September 1: Applications Open
September 8: Launch Webinar
September 30 at 5:00 pm CT: Applications Close (late applications will not be accepted)
October 8 by 5 pm CT: Notifications for Tier 1 Acceptance Distributed
October 9: Tier 1 Kickoff Call
October 9-16: SANS Beginner-level CTF
October 19 by 5 pm CT: Notifications for Tier 2 Acceptance Distributed
October 20: Tier 2 Welcome Webinar (Zoom link in acceptance email and Slack)
October 21- November 18: Tier 2 SANS Skills Quest
November 30- December 4: Internal Review Period
December 7-9: SME Lecture & SANS Cyber Assessment
December 9-15: Internal Review Period
December 16: Notifications for Tier 3 Acceptance Distributed
December 16: skillrex pre-assessment (must be completed by January 4)
December 18: Commitment forms Due and WiCyS Conference Scholarship Awards
January 7: Orientation
January 12- April 12: Tier 3- SEC 275/ GFACT
March 17-19: WiCyS Conference
April 18- July 19: Tier 4- SEC2 401/GSEC + SME Lecture
July 26- October 26: Tier 5 – SEC 504/ GCIH & SEC 411 + Post- Assessment
2025 – 2026 Cohort Timeline
August 1: Applications Open
August 5: Launch Webinar
August 30 at 11:59 pm CT: Applications Close (late applications will not be accepted)
September 8 by 5 pm CT: Notifications for Tier 1 Acceptance Distributed
September 10: Tier 1 Kick off call (zoom link in acceptance email and Slack)
September 10-14: SANS Beginner-level CTF
September 18 by 5pm CT: Notifications for Tier 2 Acceptance Distributed
September 22: Tier 2 Welcome Webinar (zoom link in acceptance email and Slack)
September 22: Tier 2 Gamified Learning Begins
October 28: Tier 2 Gamified Learning Ends
November 6-10 Tier 2: SANS Skills Quest
November 19 by 5 pm CT: Notifications for Tier 3 Acceptance Distributed
November 21 by 5 pm CT: Commitment forms for Tier 4 Acceptance Due and WiCyS Conference Scholarship Awards
December 8: Tier 3 AIS247 AI Security Essentials & SEC275 Foundations + GFACT Certification Begins
March 8: Tier 3 AIS247 AI Security Essentials & SEC275 Foundations + GFACT Certification Ends
March 11-13: WiCyS Conference
March 17: Tier 4: SEC401Security Essentials + GSEC Certification Begins
June 17: Tier 4: SEC401Security Essentials + GSEC Certification Ends
June 26: Tier 5 -SEC 504 Incident Handling + GCIH Certification Begins
September 26: Tier 5 – SEC 504 Incident Handling + GCIH Certification Ends
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
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Who is eligible to apply for the Security Training Scholarship?
To be eligible for the scholarship, you must meet the following criteria:
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WiCyS Membership: You must be an active WiCyS member aged 18 or older.
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First-Time Applicants Only: Only new, first-time applicants are eligible. If you have previously applied for this program, your application will be denied (multiple application attempts are strictly prohibited).
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Job Market Readiness: You must be seeking cybersecurity employment and prepared to enter the job market within 18 months of starting the program.
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Education Level Exclusions: Applicants holding a Master’s degree or Ph.D. in cyber or IT related fields are not eligible for this scholarship.
I already hold a GIAC certification. Am I still eligible?
If you have already earned any GIAC certification offered within this program (such as GFACT, GSEC, and GCIH), you are not eligible to participate. No course or certification substitutes are allowed.
What are the technical requirements for SANS courses?
Because SANS courses involve hands-on virtual labs and exercises, you must have access to a computer that meets the following minimum specifications:
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Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10/11, macOS (Intel or Apple Silicon/M-series), or 64-bit Linux.
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Hardware Virtualization: CPU support for hardware virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V) enabled in the BIOS/UEFI.
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Processor: 64-bit x86 or ARM processor.
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RAM: Minimum 8 GB RAM (16 GB or higher is strongly recommended).
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Free Disk Space: Minimum 50 GB to 100 GB of free solid-state drive (SSD) space for course material and virtual machines (VMs).
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Privileges: Administrator/root privileges on your computer to install software (such as VMware Workstation, VirtualBox, or course files).
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Internet: High-speed, reliable internet connection for streaming lectures, downloading large VM files, and lab access.
Note: Chromebooks, tablets, iPads, and single-board computers (like Raspberry Pi) are not supported for SANS course labs.
What is the role of a Technical Mentor in the program?
Technical Mentors are experienced cybersecurity professionals assigned to guide scholarship recipients through each tier of the program. Their role includes:
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Guidance & Coaching: Offering insights on course concepts, technical lab work, and practical problem-solving.
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Community Support: Fostering collaboration within Slack and helping keep cohort members accountable, motivated, and engaged.
Mentors are there to guide your learning—not to complete exercises or give away direct answers to challenges.
What is the definition of a "hint" in the program's Slack workspace?
Collaboration is encouraged, but academic integrity is strictly enforced. In our Slack channels, a hint is defined as high-level, directional guidance or a helpful nudge toward a concept or resource (e.g., pointing to a specific command-line tool, documentation page, or general methodology).
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What is permitted: Pointing out a syntax error or conceptual misunderstanding, recommending a tool or reference document to read, or asking clarifying questions to help a peer talk through their logic.
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What is NOT permitted: Sharing full or partial solution steps, code snippets, flags, or explicit answers. Copying/pasting direct solutions to CTF challenges or lab exercises is strictly forbidden.
Can I reapply if my previous application was denied or if I'm applying a second time?
No. This scholarship opportunity is restricted strictly to new, first-time applicants. Multiple application attempts across cohort cycles will be flagged and automatically denied.
*Tier 2 participants from 25/26 will have a one-time opportunity to reapply this year. Please refer to your email sent on Dec 12 to review the details.
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2020-2021 Security Training Scholarship Highlights
2021-2022 Security Training Scholarship Highlights
2022-2023 Security Training Scholarship Highlights
SUCCESS STORIES
Anna Rawles completed her WiCyS Security Training program with certifications in GFACT, GSEC, and GCIH. Before her admittance to the scholarship, she worked in bioinformatics, analyzing data sets. After attending the WiCyS meeting in Cleveland, she secured an interview and offer with Southwest Airlines as a Associate Technology Analyst. She worked closely with SANS Career Services in preparation for the conference.
SUCCESS STORIES
Merina Witz has been working as an IT Specialist for the Wisconsin Public Department of Instruction for the past 6 years. After being accepted to the WiCyS Security Training scholarship, she earned her GIAC certifications in GFACT, GSEC, and GCIH. Upon completion of her training, she applied for an internal position. She successfully interview and impressed them with her technical skills and received a promotion to IAM Architect. She worked with SANS Career Services on her mock interview.
SUCCESS STORIES
Prior to SANS, Kathleen Gibson’s career was in project management, where she worked in various health and higher education institutions. She has a BA in Musicology and MS in Public Safety Organizational Leadership. During her training in the WiCyS Security Training scholarship, she obtained contract positions in technical project management and security research. After she obtained her GIAC certifications in GFACT, GCLD, and GCPN, her cyber career launched as she accepted a position at Apple as a Security Engineer.
Lauren Gutierrez
“The WiCyS Security Training Scholarship experience has been unlike anything I have experienced in my life. I have gained an incredible support system, and access to hundreds of resources, and have the honor of taking classes with SANS, the most respected cyber training program in the world. I am a mom to two children and a former Kindergarten teacher who made the bold decision to move into cybersecurity. This opportunity has given me a clear path forward to enter the field with confidence knowing that I will not be on this journey alone.”
Andrea Chavez
“This one-of-a-kind experience allowed me to, not only gain new Cybersecurity-related skills, but also gain the most beautiful and genuine friendships I never thought I would find. I feel very blessed and forever thankful to WiCyS, SANS, Google, Meta, Bloomberg and Craig Newmark Philanthropies for this incredible opportunity and I highly encourage everyone to apply.”
Jessica Suarez
“Being a recipient of the WiCyS Security Training Scholarship has provided me with resources, support, and an uplifting community and cohort. This scholarship has fostered growth in my abilities by providing training that may be inaccessible without this opportunity. This has been such an enriching experience, that will undoubtedly shape the direction of my professional career, and life.”
Emily Schlieff
“The Security Training Scholarship provides me with resources to be more successful in my role as a Reverse Engineer for Computershare. Furthermore, I have gained the confidence to join security related projects within my company, which has allowed me to connect with peers in our Security department. I can now fully envision a future as a Cyber Security Analyst.”
Rowena Elaine J. Echevarria
“I am a career-changer. I was so lost before with no mentor/s for guidance on how and where I should start my cybersecurity career. But then, I became a member of the WiCyS Organization – which opened up a lot of opportunities to help me connect with so many talented, supportive, and knowledgeable people while learning the foundations of cybersecurity and building my technical skills through Capture the Flag events.”
Leanne Kirkham
“The WiCyS Security Training Scholarship program gave me an opportunity to comfortably dive headfirst into a new world of cybersecurity with an amazingly supportive cohort. The friendly corroboration of our group during our challenges and projects enabled many of us with different levels of experience to both receive assistance from and also give assistance to others in our group easily. This highly synergistic collaboration has enabled us to cover an intense amount of information in a relatively short period of time; I never felt like I was alone with my questions and so much information was shared between us it would have taken me years on my own to have this quantity of exposure. For me this has proven the power of WiCyS as an organization to advance our careers much more efficiently and enjoyably than trying to go it alone!”
Lindsey Hinz
“This scholarship is a wonderful way to learn foundational knowledge in cyber security and get hands-on experience using the professional skills. Each tier of the scholarship is rewarding but the SANS classes and certifications are a way to help solidify success in obtaining the career we are all working so hard for. Joining this scholarship will put you in competition to advance through the tiers but you are encouraged to help your fellow scholarship participants with resources which helps create networking opportunities that will last a lifetime and foster a culture of giving back in our industry.”
Milou de Meij
“As a young professional transitioning into cybersecurity, this program has changed my life by giving me the skills and certifications to pursue my dream career alongside a supportive cohort of extraordinary women.”
Selena Xiao
“As a young professional transitioning into cybersecurity, this program has changed my life by giving me the skills and certifications to pursue my dream career alongside a supportive cohort of extraordinary women.”
Sadhvi Selvaraj
“The multi staged SANS/Google scholarship allowed me to gain invaluable technical skills from CTF and gamified learning platform, it further provided insight into the right cybersecurity path for me from the CyberGEN IQ assessment. Through this program, I was able to network with ingenious professionals/mentors from the industry, it has been a privilege to be a part of this supportive and inspiring cohort.”
Susannah Clark Matt
“For most of my life, I’ve considered myself a humanities person with only ‘soft skills’ to offer. I thought that was just the way my brain worked. While competing for the Security Training Scholarship, I unlocked an entirely new mode of thinking, expanding not just my capabilities, but my confidence. I’ve learned that with the right foundation, empathy and creativity can be technical skills as well.”
Anisha Srivastava
Student
“The WiCyS Security Training Scholarship has helped me rewrite my narrative as a woman in STEM and bolstered my belief in my potential. With the support of an incredible community of women and excellent foundational training, I now look forward to a deeply fulfilling career in Cybersecurity.”
Oorja Rugta
Student, Institution - VIT Bhopal University
“Winning the WiCyS security training scholarship I have gained the confidence to approach opportunities in the cybersecurity field that I felt were far beyond me earlier. The scholarship program has allowed me to not only learn lots of new things that have made me grow both as a person and as a Cybersecurity professional but also connected me with a lot of like-minded people across the world that have become my support system in this exciting journey.”
Constanze Roedig
Engineer, Dept of Research and Innovation, University of Technology Vienna
“I had been wanting to transition into CyberSec for some years, and this scholarship provided the ideal format to ease into this complex field. It’s competitive structure is highly engaging, the content provides challenges for various skill levels and through the continuous community engagement: the learning never ceases to be fun.”
Bhawini Tripathi
Analyst, Intrado Corporation
“Through its various stages, WiCyS Security Training Scholarship has provided me the fantastic opportunity to learn and apply a gamut of cybersecurity concepts. The amazing cohort, mentors and industry partners empower and inspire me as I venture into the ever-evolving cybersecurity industry.”
Colleen Campbell
Kristen Cotten
Student, Western Governors University & Midwest Regional Network Enterprise Center
Apoorva Singh
Cognizant, Role - Programmer Analyst Trainee
Linda La
Student at WGU and Cybersecurity Analyst Apprentice
“When I was navigating my career transition to cybersecurity in the early stages of the pandemic, I found the multi-stage WiCyS/SANS/Google Training Scholarship. The program gave me the skills and confidence to get a job in the industry and the extraordinary members of the community inspired me to do my best. I am so grateful to be part of this movement to uplift and upskill women in an increasingly important field.”
Harsha Deepa
Student
Surabi Ramamurthy
Student, University of Maryland College Park
Astride Desperoux
Cyber Security Analyst, BDO Mauritius
Hema Pillay
Career Relauncher
Lauren Gallegos
Desktop Support, Vashon Island School District Highline College, Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics BAS
Liz Beattie
Technical Business Analyst, Dominos Pizza
Aimee Reyes
Student, Miami Dade College
“Since participating in a variety of WiCyS training opportunities I have: Received offers to intern at Intel (software engineer in their client computing group) and Amazon (security engineer). I didn’t know internships paid this well! Passed my Security+, found mentors and a web of support in my cohort peers, placed in the top 3% of individual competitors in NCL, making the top 1% in digital forensics and network traffic analysis, and gained visibility from mentors on LinkedIn. I honestly couldn’t be more geeked. Thank you SO much WiCyS!!“
Christine Morency
Student/Self-taught Cybersecurity Hopeful
“Be Dynamic. Follow Through. Show Up”
Melinda Bigger
Student
“I joined WiCyS only 6 months ago and I have benefited so much from my membership. Winning the SANS Security Training Scholarship has given me an extra boost in my confidence to pursue the field of Cybersecurity”
Jennifer Otieno
Cybersecurity Enthusiast
“If I wasn’t sure a career in cybersecurity was for me before the training began, now I am 100% certain. Through the training scholarship I have gained invaluable technical skills, grown my confidence, secured a security internship and got to be a part of a supportive community of women learning and growing together.”
Luíza Machado
Student,University of Sao Paulo
“WiCyS has given me opportunities I would never dream to have. I’m sure my career path in cybersecurity wouldn’t be the same without their help”