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The Paller Cybersecurity Scholarship

The most recent application window closed in January 2026, and winners were notified in February. We extend our sincere appreciation to the applicants from 154 countries whose passion for cybersecurity and dedication to protecting communities was truly inspiring. Updates about the program will be announced in September 2026.

Providing a World-Class Cybersecurity Education for the World’s Protectors

The Paller Cybersecurity Scholarship is a global program providing access to world-class cybersecurity education at SANS.edu for individuals committed to making their organizations and communities more secure.

As the leading international cybersecurity program and the only college solely focused on cybersecurity education, SANS.edu is committed to identifying the best new talent, filling the cybersecurity skills gap, and helping protect the societies in which our new cyber graduates operate.

Close Up of Man Using a Computer With a Larger Monitor on His Desk

Meet the 2026 Paller Scholars

Drawn from candidates representing 254 countries, the 2026 Paller Scholars reflect the SANS.edu mission: developing skilled professionals who will strengthen cybersecurity worldwide. Each scholar brings a commitment to learning, leadership, and meaningful impact in their region and beyond.

Meet the 2025 Paller Scholars

Chosen from a pool of applicants representing more than 150 countries, the Paller Cybersecurity Scholarship recipients selected in January 2025 embody the global talent shaping the future of cybersecurity.

The Alan Paller Legacy

In 1989, RSA lifetime achievement award winner Alan Paller began addressing the growing threat of cyberattacks by providing state-of-the-art education to the next generation of security defenders. He founded the SANS Institute—now the world’s largest cybersecurity training and research organization—and later the SANS Technology Institute, America’s first regionally accredited college specializing in cybersecurity. Today, his legacy lives on in the millions of breaches that haven’t happened and the hundreds of thousands of lives he helped change. The Paller Cybersecurity Scholarship is named in his honor.

Alan Paller
Ed Skoudis

Alan Paller dedicated his life to vastly improving cybersecurity practitioners’ skills to thwart ever-increasing threats. Due to Alan’s commitment, hard work, and kindness, hundreds of thousands of students have become better cyber defenders. His legacy and lifetime dedication continue to embody the SANS mission.

Ed SkoudisPresident, SANS Technology Institute