(ISC)2, the not-for-profit information security professional body, has launched its Foundation's new scholarship program for women.
The aim of the program is to encourage women from around the world, including the UK, to undertake study in information security and eventually pursue a career in the industry.
Each year, the organisation will award two scholarships worth up to a total of $40,000 (£24,420) to qualifying undergraduate and graduate female applicants.
Women who receive the scholarships will be required to provide reports on what they have learned and how they have applied it.
Furthermore, they will be given a voucher to take the CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) or SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner) exam.
The announcement is part of the (ISC)2 Foundation's plans to expand its scholarship program.
While it previously focused on supporting graduate-level research (providing a maximum of $3,000 per recipient), the foundation will now also offer scholarships aimed at other academic levels, including high school, undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate.
In addition to the scholarships for women, the foundation will award a number of $5,000 (£3,051) scholarships to undergraduates studying Information Assurance as part of their course at accredited non-profit colleges or universities.
"As the complexity and volume of cyber attacks increase, we will continue to offer scholarship opportunities that will further the recruiting and retaining of a new global workforce capable of preventing, detecting and responding to attacks on information systems," said Julie Peeler, foundation manager for (ISC)2.
More information on how to apply for a scholarship can be found here.