ESET Announces 2025 Winner of Australian Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship

• Samia Arshad Mehar has been named the recipient of the 2025 ESET Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship
• The scholarship is one of the initiatives by ESET to get more women into cybersecurity professions
• It funds female students pursuing undergraduate STEM degrees who demonstrate a keen interest in cybersecurity

The 2025 ESET Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship has gone to Samia Arshad Mehar, a student of Bachelor of Cybersecurity and Data Analytics at the University of Technology Sydney. This is the fourth year of the program in Australia and is one of ESET's global efforts to provide support for women who are pursuing careers in cybersecurity. The award is given to female STEM undergraduate students who demonstrate manifest interest in the discipline of cybersecurity.

Samia was awarded the honor at a special ceremony held at ESET's Sydney office by Stephanie Crowe, Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), and Parvinder Walia, President of ESET for Asia Pacific and Japan. This reflected the increasing partnership among government, industry, and academia to drive increased inclusion in the cybersecurity field.

ESET's scholarship is a step toward bridging the gender gap in cybersecurity, an otherwise male-dominated field in so many ways though it needs diverse perspectives and capabilities more than ever before. With Australia in need of about 5,000 new cybersecurity experts each year to address national objectives, efforts such as this scholarship are important toward creating a more inclusive and healthy digital future.

Stephanie Crowe, the nation's leading cybersecurity executives, spoke about the role of women in the industry, drawing reference to the pioneering "Garage Girls" of WWII as the basis of Australia's cyber heritage. She highlighted the importance of ongoing support to bring in and energize more women in technology.

Parvinder Walia reaffirmed the mission of ESET to mirror the world it is defending in its diversity by investing in new female figures in the field of cybersecurity. He added that this year's partnership with ASD and Stephanie Crowe solidifies that commitment.

Grateful to her, Samia said, "I'm profoundly grateful to receive this award. I'm committed to cybersecurity, and I believe that varied viewpoints are completely vital in solving the difficult technical problems of our era. This honor inspires me further and perhaps motivates other young women to go for a career in the STEM disciplines."

Samia is currently holding a level of 6.75 GPA (on a scale of 7.0) and was put on the Dean's List for 2024. She plans to join the field of cybersecurity and data analysis in the future and utilize data to avoid cyber-attacks and make better decisions. Apart from research, she likes swimming, staying fit and staying with her family, and spending time on lifelong learning through short courses and certification.