Cybersecurity students at NKU get new scholarship

Community Recorder 7:41 p.m. EST November 6, 2016

NKU cybersecurity students Nathan Long, Nicholas Mester and Allyson Frame (center) are the inaugural recipients of the U.S. Bank Cybersecurity Scholarship. Bank Chief Information Security Officer Jason Witty is in back row, third from left, and NKU President Geoffrey S. Mearns is on the far right.(Photo: Thanks to Amanda Nageleisen)

A new partnership between Northern Kentucky University and U.S. Bank will expand access to NKU's nationally known cybersecurity program and help create the next generation of "good guys" tasked with staying one step ahead of hackers.

NKU and U.S. Bank recently announced the creation of the U.S. Bank Cybersecurity Scholarship. The award will benefit high-achieving cybersecurity students in NKU's College of Informatics.

"At U.S. Bank, we want to be our customer's most trusted choice," said Jason Witty, U.S. Bank executive vice president and chief information security officer. "One way we earn that trust is by providing the highest level security for our customer's data which is why investing in cybersecurity is so important to us. We are excited to partner with NKU, supporting the future of cybersecurity professionals. These young men and women will help protect us from what's next in cybersecurity attacks."

Inaugural recipients of the scholarship are Allyson Frame, a sophomore computer information technology major; Nathan Long, a sophomore computer information technology major; and Nicholas Mester, a senior computer information technology major.

Frame, Long, and Mester are members of NKU's Cyber Defense Team, which competes with other university teams across the nation in both offensive and defensive security skills.

"Every day, our students learn how to not only be on the front lines of cybersecurity, but also to stay one step ahead of hackers who wish to do harm to institutions and to individuals," said NKU President Geoffrey S. Mearns. "We are thankful that U.S. Bank has made this investment in our students to ultimately help create a world in which we are all safer online."

In January 2015, NKU became the first university in Greater Cincinnati to be designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance/Cyber Defense (CAE IA/CD) by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security.

The designation identifies NKU's cybersecurity program as a top-tier program in the nation and makes NKU eligible for special research grants and scholarships. NKU's Center for Information Security is housed in the College of Informatics; initiatives include the Cyber Defense Team as well as an annual Cybersecurity Symposium held each October since 2008.

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