Brussels, 18 September 2026 - As digital transformation accelerates, cybersecurity has become a priority for Europe. Between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025 alone, according to official data from the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA)
, 4,875 significant cybersecurity incidents were analysed, dominated primarily by cyberattacks, malware, and data breaches.
Faced with this emergency, however, the Cisco Cybersecurity Readiness Index 2025 estimates that only 3% of European companies are currently prepared to face cyberattacks. The intensification of these threats, combined with a shortage of qualified professionals, represents one of the main challenges to Europe’s competitiveness and digital resilience today.
CYCERONE, CYbersecurity aCadEmy foR educatiOn and experieNcE, was created to respond to this need: a project funded by the
European Union's Digital Europe Programme, bringing together 15 organisations from 10 countries with the goal of making
cybersecurity training free, structured, and closely aligned with the needs of businesses and Public Administrations.
The consortium brings together a broad network of academic excellence, research centres, and international organisations from across Europe, including:
Talent Garden, 28Digital, DIGITALEUROPE, the University of Trento, Politecnico di Milano, RISE – Research Institutes of Sweden, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Linköping University, Aalto University Executive Education and Professional Development, Tampere University, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Babeș-Bolyai University, Riga Technical University, Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), and Universidade Lusófona.
After an initial 18 months of activity - dedicated to analysing market needs, designing learning pathways, and building the technological infrastructure - the initiative has now entered its most operational phase with the launch of the
CYCERONE Portal, designed to provide a
single access point for European cybersecurity training.
The portal is now live, and its course catalogue can be browsed by accessing the website. Through registration, users, organisations, and professionals will be able to access
fully free training pathways - both online and hybrid - developed by the consortium's leading academic institutions and partners, choosing among programs designed to foster upskilling and reskilling in the cybersecurity sector. The goal is to create a
permanent European ecosystem in which universities, research centers, businesses, and public organisations collaborate to develop up-to-date skills and respond to the continuous evolution of digital threats.
From cybersecurity fundamentals to AI: training designed for a wide range of professional profiles CYCERONE’s training portfolio includes a range of free courses designed to address different needs and levels of experience, from first steps in cybersecurity to more advanced technical skills. Among the available programmes,
Cybersecurity for Everyone introduces digital risks and essential security practices, while
Cybersecurity Awareness explores the main cyber threats and the measures needed to protect data and professional activities. For those looking to develop more hands-on skills, courses such as
Applied Cybersecurity combine practical exercises, simulations and real-world scenarios, while
Cloud Security focuses on securing cloud environments, identity and access management, and the analysis of key vulnerabilities.
The portfolio also covers application and software development security.
Web Security uses practical exercises and Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges to strengthen vulnerability identification and analysis skills, while
Secure Software Development and
DevSecOps Pipeline Simulation focus on embedding security throughout the software development lifecycle and CI/CD pipelines. Attention is also given to emerging technologies.
AI and Cybersecurity explores the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence in the field of cybersecurity, while also addressing how these technologies can be used safely and responsibly. The course is designed to remain accessible to participants without a technical background. For professionals in positions of higher responsibility, CYCERONE also offers advanced programmes such as
Cybersecurity Management Fundamentals, covering cybersecurity strategy, risk assessment, data protection and digital identity management;
Digital Forensics, focused on digital investigations and incident management; and
Cybersecurity Architecture, which explores the design of secure IT systems, the standardisation of security measures, DevSecOps practices and AI-supported threat analysis.
Depending on the programme, courses are available online, in person or in hybrid format, and are offered in multiple languages. The training portfolio is further complemented by
learning pathways that combine courses from different partners into structured programmes tailored to specific professional roles, including
SME Cybersecurity Responsible,
Cyber Incident Responder,
Penetration Tester,
Cybersecurity Implementer and
Secure Software & DevSecOps.
For more information, visit the website
: https://cycerone.eu/en