Security Risk Advisors, a cybersecurity consulting firm, sponsors $125,000 in scholarships for RIT students interested in “red team” cybersecurity, also known as offensive security.
Security Risk Advisors (SRA) has committed to sponsoring $25,000 in grants annually for the next five years. Each year, four students are awarded the $5,000 SRA RITSEC Red Team Scholarship. Select students receive an additional $5,000 per year to pay for a Premier Red Team certification.
The first scholarship recipients include:
- Michael Vaughan, a fourth-year BS/MS computer security major
- Spencer Roth, a fourth-year BS/MS computer security major
- Anthony Iopollo, a third-year BS/MS computer security major
- Mohammad Eshan, a fourth-year BS/MS Computer Security major
RIT students wishing to apply for upcoming scholarships are required to have a GPA of 3.0 and their financial needs will be considered in the assessment.
In cybersecurity, offensive and defensive security are defined by color-coded teams. Red and blue team drills play an important role in defending businesses and organizations against advanced cyber attacks.
Red teams are experts at attacking systems and breaking into defenses. Blue teams are responsible for maintaining internal network defenses against all cyber attacks and threats. In the drills, red teams actually plan and simulate attacks against blue teams to test the effectiveness of a network’s security. Coordination between red and blue teams, often referred to as purple teaming, ensures strong defenses and helps keep an eye on evolving threats.
RIT is nationally recognized for its bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer security and has been designated by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education and in Research. At the university, students have the opportunity to practice Red Team Security as part of the Cybersecurity Club RITSEC and through competitions. RIT is the founder of the Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition (CPTC), the premier ethical hacking competition for college students.
Security Risk Advisors provides technology security services and cybersecurity expertise to Fortune and Global 1,000 companies. SRA is known in the industry for developing cybersecurity tools like VECTR and world-class Purple teams. SRA is committed to educating the next generation of cyber professionals, and that support goes beyond hiring and mentoring teammates. The company has offices in Philadelphia; Rochester, NY; and Kilkenny, Ireland.
