Cybersecurity Training Scholarships for Veterans Residing in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming

DENVER, Aug. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Daniels Fund, in collaboration with the USO Colorado Springs, has announced a grant for veterans to receive cybersecurity training at no cost with the SANS Institute's VetSuccess Immersion Academy.  VetSuccess is a three-to-four month immersion training program for veterans with an interest in, and an aptitude for, cybersecurity.  Twelve students will be selected for the program and veterans residing in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming that meet the requirements are invited to take the SANS CyberTalent Aptitude Assessment.

The grant is part of the Daniels Fund's Boundless Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides scholarship funding for non-traditional students, including returning military.

"Finding employment can be among the greatest challenges our transitioning military service members face when returning home," said Linda Childears, President and CEO of the Daniels Fund, "We are pleased to support this program which can put these deserving men and women on a fast track to a meaningful career in a high-growth field." 

The 2015-16 VetSuccess Academies had a 94 percent graduation rate.  Nearly 9 in 10 (89 percent) of those program graduates are employed within the field.  VetSuccess alumni hold positions such as Information Security Analyst, Security Engineer, Web Security Engineer, Security Analyst I, Information Security Engineer and Cybersecurity Specialist and report a median salary of $80,000.

"The number and complexity of cyber threats continue to rise at a time when the cybersecurity industry is challenged to keep pace in the face of a severe talent shortage," explained Max Shuftan, Director, CyberTalent, SANS Institute. "We are proud to honor the service of our nation's veterans with the VetSuccess program and offer tremendous thanks to the Daniels Fund and the USO Colorado Springs for supporting this Academy. Transitioning service members offer a unique set of skills, making them well suited for cybersecurity jobs. Their training, discipline and integrity are exactly what are required to succeed in in this field."

"The USO is not only committed to supporting our active military service members, we are also here to help our veterans transition back to their communities," said Phil Martinez, Director, USO Colorado Springs.   "Our partnership with the Daniels Fund and the SANS Institute enables us to meet our mission and help our veterans build critical skills, find great jobs, and build rewarding careers."

Interested veterans must demonstrate knowledge application, comprehension, and problem solving skills using the SANS CyberTalent Aptitude Assessment and participate in interviews with officials from SANS CyberTalent and partner organizations.  Accepted participants will receive industry-leading training and hands-on learning taught by expert SANS faculty.  Graduates earn the associated GIAC certification – recognized and accepted by employers around the world.

Key dates:

• Application period: Now through October 10, 2017
• Classes begin:  November 6, 2017
• Graduation:  February 2018

For more information, interested veterans can visit www.sans.org/u/v0l or email [email protected].

About the Daniels Fund
The Daniels Fund, established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, is a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for the people of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through its grants program, scholarship program, and ethics initiative. Visit DanielsFund.org to learn more.

About the USO
The USO strengthens America's military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country throughout their service to the nation. For nearly 75 years, the USO has been the nation's leading organization to serve the men and women in the U.S. military, and their families, throughout their time in uniform. From the moment they join, through their assignments and deployments, and as they transition back to their communities, the USO is always by their side.

About SANS Institute
The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of training and certification to professionals at governments and commercial institutions world-wide. Renowned SANS instructors teach over 50 different courses at more than 200 live cyber security training events as well as online. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates employee qualifications via 30 hands-on, technical certifications in information security. The SANS Technology Institute, a regionally accredited independent subsidiary, offers master's degrees in cyber security. SANS offers a myriad of free resources to the InfoSec community including consensus projects, research reports, 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 help the entire information security community. (www.SANS.org)

SOURCE SANS Institute

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