About this course

This four mornings training focuses on the policy aspects of cybersecurity, covering cybersecurity standards in the EU, how to adopt them and put them into practice. The course is offered entirely online and you will be able to decide whether to complete two modules or one. At the end of the course, you will receive a Certificate of Attendance (CoA).

Over the past decades, Internet and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have had a profound impact on our daily lives, becoming an integral part of our institutional and social fabric. The supply of critical services across many sectors, including emergency and security services, health, water and food, energy and electricity, banking and finance, commerce, transportation, communications and education is now heavily reliant on ICTs. Our reliance on internet and digital technologies makes us more vulnerable to new threats, including cybersecurity attacks. These threats put the provision of critical services, as well as the EU’s economies, at risk and ultimately compromise the security and fundamental rights of EU citizens.

Breaches of information security are a major threat to the functioning of our society, jeopardizing public services, businesses and the economy. Under the EU regulatory framework (e.g. GDPR, NIS, Cybersecurity Act) our cyber security risks need to be evaluated and security controls need to be implemented in the Information Systems of our infrastructures, where all procedures, personal data, people and objects are stored and exchanged in a secure manner. To plan and implement efficient security policies and to comply with the EU regulations, public authorities, organizations and professionals need to raise their cybersecurity awareness and fully develop the necessary skills. Professionals need to be aware of the various cybersecurity standards (e.g. ISO27001, ISO 27005, ISO 28000, ISO15408) and procedures that can help them to become compliant with the EU regulations and protect their daily work, organization and sector.

This training focuses on the policy aspects of cybersecurity, covering cybersecurity standards in the EU, how to adopt them and how to put them into practice. This unique program brings together the experience of cybersecurity, security, EU policy and public administration experts to provide a practical understanding of the challenges related to designing and implementing cyber-proof policies within organizations and sectors. The training is designed specifically for non-IT professionals, with the objective of providing participants with the knowledge and skillset necessary to deal confidently with cybersecurity measures within their sectors and organizations.

What is our approach to online teaching and learning?

The delivery of our online training programmes is planned following the input of our online pedagogy specialists, to provide you with a high quality and effective educational experience. In this online training, we adopt a comprehensive approach, combining an in-depth overview of the legislative and policy-considerations to be taken into account when formulating cyber-resilient measures, and practical training. We will provide practical guidelines and use case studies, good practices and hands-on simulation exercises to allow you understand, design, adopt and implement good cybersecurity measures, in your work, organization and sector. After this training, you will be able to use all the materials and practical exercises for your work. Whether you are a policymaker, interested in incorporating cyber resilience in your policies, or a professional who wants to make his/her work and organization safer, this training is designed for you.

The programme of this online course is divided into two modules to offer you flexibility in adapting it to your needs. Module 1 focuses on the legal and policy dimension of cybersecurity in Europe and offers you an in-depth overview of the fundamental concepts in cybersecurity, in order to understand relevant EU directives, guidelines, regulations. Module 2 will offer you a practical training (no IT expertise required) on how to design and implement cybersecurity policies and practices to protect your daily work, organization and sector. If you prefer to attend just one of the modules, you can click on Module 1 or Module 2.

Who will benefit most?

Recent reports warn us about cybersecurity skills gaps, among non-IT experts across all sectors in the EU, including public officials, lawyers, administrative staff, healthcare professionals, database managers. The course is relevant for public officials, legal practitioners, database managers, professionals in the private sector.

Once you register, we will ask you for details about your own professional sector. We have over 20 case studies and will select the case studies on the basis of your individual needs.