Still in college and interested in a cybersecurity career?

Then you may want to apply for the 2018 Secretary’s Honors Program (SHP) Cyber Student Volunteer Initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The window for submitting applications to the program closes at 3 p.m. (EST) March 15.

For more information about the SHP CSVI, including the selection and application process, visit www.dhs.gov/homeland-security-careers/cybersecurity-internship-program.

Applicants will be considered in the order in which they submit their form and the reviews will continue until all selections are made or until the closing deadline.

“We highly encourage interested students to submit an application as soon as possible to ensure they are considered for a spot in this highly competitive and coveted DHS cybersecurity internship program,” said SHP CSVI Program Manager Joi Brown.

Beginning in late spring, more than 80 selected students will start assignments that support the DHS’ cyber mission at department field offices in more than 40 locations across the country.

Through the SHP CSVI program, students currently pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees related to cybersecurity will get hands-on experience and exposure to the cybersecurity work performed across the DHS, which is responsible for public security, with wide-ranging duties that include aviation security, border control, emergency response and cybersecurity.

In a press release, a department spokesperson noted the federal agency is committed to expanding its cybersecurity workforce and developing future professionals. In support of this goal, selected students will gain invaluable experience while supporting activities such as cyber-threat analysis, digital forensics, network diagnostics and incident response, while participating in mentoring and professional-development events with DHS cybersecurity managers and senior leaders.

Federal officials created the SHP CSVI program in April 2013 and expanded it in 2016 to add graduate student participation in the program. Since its founding, SHP CSVI has placed 258 student volunteers across 40 states and territories within nine DHS components.

“The SHP CSVI is a tremendous opportunity for college-level students to get an insider’s look at cybersecurity operations within DHS, especially those students who are considering a career in the federal government after they complete their studies,” said Douglas Maughan, director of the DHS Science and Technology Directorate’s cyber security research and development program, in the prepared statement.

Each student selected this year will receive a stipend and complete an assignment at one of the following DHS components: Customs and Border Protection; Federal Emergency Management Agency; Office of Intelligence and Analysis; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; National Protection and Programs Directorate; Management Directorate/Office of the Chief Information Officer; Management Directorate/Office of the Chief Security Officer; Office of Policy/Cyber, Infrastructure and Resilience Policy; Transportation Security Administration; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; and the U.S. Secret Service.