Kent student wins cybersecurity scholarship

Mohannad Alhanahnah, a Master's student in the School of Computing, has been awarded a scholarship by the (ISC)2 Foundation to support his career in the IT security sector. Mohannad is currently studying MSc Computer Security and won the $1300 (£815) scholarship for his graduate research project. He was one of only two UK students to win the scholarship; most of the other 23 awards went to US-based entrants.

Mohannad received the graduate scholarship to support his research in the area of Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) in online banking. He plans to do a PhD degree in cyber security next generation malware and security in smartphones.

Mohannad said, 'I worked for five years in the technical field and took a worthwhile risk to switch to academic study and research. This valuable scholarship has not only encouraged and boosted me to continue this research area, but also convinced me about my decision. I hope that by obtaining the (ISC)2 graduate scholarship gives me a promising future in the research field.'

The (ISC)2 Foundation is a charitable trust that awards information security scholarships to help build the future IT security workforce. It states: 'A high demand for skilled cyber security experts and not enough supply of qualified candidates equals a world of opportunity. The (ISC)2 Foundation aims to bridge this gap by providing future information security professionals with scholarships to prepare them for a rewarding career in this important field.'