Project No 101111732
Start: 01/07/2023 End: 30/06/2026
In response to the European Green Deal's call for a sustainable, digital Europe, CyberAgent steps in to fortify the backbone of the European economy—SMEs. With over 90% of businesses being SMEs, they are essential yet vulnerable to cyber threats. CyberAgent's mission is clear: empower these businesses by transforming their employees into 'SMEs’ Cybersecurity Change Agents'. By integrating technical, analytical, and soft skills, CyberAgent not only addresses the skills gap but also fosters a diverse, resilient digital workforce. In the face of rising cyber challenges, CyberAgent stands as a vital initiative, safeguarding SMEs and nurturing a future-ready European economy. The CyberAgent project, funded by Erasmus+, fosters cooperation between higher education institutions, vocational training providers and SMEs to share best practices in cybersecurity and enhance employability, cyber resilience and an organisation's cybersecurity culture. The Aim of the project The aim of the CyberAgent project is to create a platform for the target group to acquire sustainable cybersecurity and entrepreneurial knowledge and competences to inspire, empower, up-skill, re-skill and engage SME employees taking the role as Cyber Security Change Agents and involve more women in the IT sector. It will facilitate collaborations between HEIs, VETs, and SMEs, operating as a platform for sharing best practices in cybersecurity and the labor market. Additionally, it intends to improve the employability of the target groups, support SMEs in building their cyber resilience, preserve their reputation and competitiveness, and raise organizational cybersecurity maturity and culture. Training Modules The project will offer up-to-date curricula and content for 8 training modules, covering technical, analytical, risk management, and organizational skills. These resources will be available on an online platform and may be utilized for blended learning. MAIN BENEFICIARIES We inspire, empower, and upskill representatives of project target groups to become Cybersecurity Change Agents while promoting gender diversity in the IT sector. Cybersecurity SMEs – skills enhancement Consortium partners will design and deploy a curriculum and training programme focused on enhancing in-house cybersecurity competences for European SMEs. Successful completion of the training will result in employees earning micro-credentials and recognition through ECVET, EQF, EQAVET, and ESCO. HEI teachers and VET providers - Capacity Building for Educators The project aims to develop better teachers and trainers by expanding their academic teaching and training offerings, and by attracting new students and customers. HEI teachers will create more relevant lifelong learning programmes and curricula to address the specific cybersecurity requirements of future SME employees. VET providers will receive capacity-building support, train-the-trainer programmes, and new tools to upskill SME employees to effectively tackle cybersecurity challenges. Women – enhancing women's Involvement in Cybersecurity Leveraging partner networks, especially Women4Cyber, the project will empower women employees in SMEs to become cybersecurity change agents. This includes setting and tracking minimum targets for women's inclusion in training programs. Training providers and the general public - Knowledge Exchange Platform CyberAgent will create a pan-European digital platform to disseminate knowledge to other training providers, the general public, and to maximise the EU's added value. This platform will bolster the "European Digital Innovation Hub" (EDIH) by addressing the specific cybersecurity needs of SMEs and public sector organisations in Europe. Additionally, it will support the forthcoming "European Digital Education Hub" by acting as both a recipient of good practices and a contributor to building the Community of Practice (CoP) within the hub. The CyberAgent WPs is a mix between ongoing WP through the whole project of three years as WP 1 project management and WP 6 Dissemination & Exploitation. The other WPs is based on an order, where WP 2 (CyberAgent approach and structure design) and WP 3 (CyberAgent Learning resource development) is necessary to conduct before the final outputs in WP 4 CyberAgent Collaboration Digital Platform) and WP 5 (Boost CyberAgent Upskilling at local and regional level). CyberAgent Work Packages cover: WP 1 – Project management WP 2 – CyberAgent approach and structure design This WP will work to create common ground for further development of WP 3,4 and 5. This includes getting the latest inputs since cybersecurity is a sector in rapid development. WP 3 – Cyber Security Change Agents Learning Resource Development Based on the recommendations in WP 2, this WP will develop the concrete syllabus and content to meet the demands in HEI and VET curriculum. This includes to create the training material as well. WP 4 – CyberAgent Collaboration Digital Platform The platform will be the glue to make the learning networks work on common ground, as well as the assess point for all learning activities. The platform will ensure the concept is available in all partners’ languages. WP 5 – Boost CyberAgent Upskilling at local and regional level In this WP the CyberAgent project will implement the developed concept and platform into 8 pilots in 8 countries. The final evaluation and project results will be made based on lessoned learned. WP 6– Dissemination & Exploitation In this WP the project will work to get project concept implemented in a wider area and contribute to further development at policy level within lifelong learning and cybersecurity in special.
Vilnius University, with over 430 years of academic heritage, is Lithuania's oldest and largest higher education institution, recognised among the top 400 universities globally by QS. The university's mission is to foster knowledge creation, accumulation, and dissemination while preserving an authentic university culture that harmonises old traditions with innovative ideas. Key values include freedom of thought, diversity of perspectives, openness to novel concepts, mutual respect, academic ethics, and tolerance. With twelve faculties, seven institutes, and an array of academic units, including a historic library founded in 1570, Vilnius University maintains a diverse academic landscape. It hosts 21,000 students, including approximately 900 international students from over 70 countries. The university offers a wide spectrum of bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programmes, with over 70 bachelor's and 100 master's options, including programmes in biomedicine, physical sciences, humanities, and social and technological sciences, offered in both Lithuanian and English. The teaching staff consists of distinguished lecturers with extensive research expertise, internationally recognised in their respective fields. Vilnius University actively participates in national and international projects and collaborates with universities worldwide, holding over 130 bilateral cooperation agreements. It is a member of prestigious international university networks and maintains strong ties with major research centres globally. With state-of-the-art laboratories and the Baltic States' largest scientific library, Vilnius University is well-equipped to support high-quality research and studies across various academic domains, solidifying its commitment to knowledge dissemination and nurturing responsible leaders and citizens. Kaunas Faculty, the academic subunit of Vilnius University located in a different city, is interdisciplinary, it encompasses study programmes from three different fields of science: Humanities, Social and Physical Sciences (Informatics). VU KNF provides original study programmes “Information Systems and Cyber Security”, “Financial Technology”, that corresponds market needs and supplies both bachelor and master degrees. Also, these programmes are especially important for ensuring cyber security and responsible digital media usage. Moreover, faculty has cybersecurity working group, which contributes to the proactive actions by preparing Research and Science Popularization Publications. Cybersecurity group perform cyberattack simulations for organisations, therefore scientists have close relationship not only with youth (students), but with various types of organisations and get continuous feedback about cybersecurity problems and how people recognise fake information. “Grigore C. Moisil” Technological High School is located in the town of Buzău, approximately 100 km from Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It was founded in 1974 under the name Electro-Technical High School. It is a secondary education institution, whose main objectives are initial vocational training and education for teenagers between 15 and 19 years old. The students of our school are trained by teachers specialised in technical fields and new qualifications according to the requirements of the local and European labour market: media field - technician operator text/image processing (intensive English) electrical field - technician in electrical installations and electrical technician electronics and automation field - computer operator technician and telematics operator technician (intensive English). Among the most important projects carried out in our school are the Erasmus+ projects through which the students carry out their three weeks practical training in a European country, the transnational collaboration E-twinning projects and the ROSE project which included remedial classes and hot meals for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, but also significant acquisitions and renovations for our school. Women4Cyber Mari Kert - Saint Aubyn Foundation EVM Group, headquartered in Santa Cruz of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain, consists of a consortium of companies boasting 15 years of experience in project development for diverse clients on a national and international scale. Comprising a substantial workforce of over 70 professionals specializing in various fields, including engineering, data sciences, and social sciences, a significant number of our team members hold doctoral degrees, reflecting our dedication to fostering scientific talent. Furthermore, our extensive network encompasses strategic collaborators and partners globally. Within the context of our extensive European network, Quimera is dedicated to monitoring funding programmes, disruptive initiatives, and high-risk projects. This effort simplifies access for public and private organisations to various funding opportunities at the European, national, and regional levels. Additionally, our proven track record includes successful collaborations with public administrations and companies across diverse sectors, including tourism, industry, and logistics, where we have devised corporate innovation programmes to drive growth and transformation. Prios Kompetanse AS (Prios) is a research-based corporation which aims to implement the idea of lifelong learning, support and conduct development projects. The centre is open to all who wish to develop their talents, refresh their knowledge, improve their business, needs new or better digital tools or have ideas in need for support to be fulfilled. The main sectors and activities are: Within the scope of the Cooperation Protocol signed between our Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Education and Technopark Istanbul on 30.04.2020, “Technopark Istanbul Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School” was officially established to provide education in the field of Information Technologies Network Management and Cyber Security in the Anatolian Technical Program, according to the Ministry's Approval dated 15.05.2020 of the Ministry of National Education, General Directorate of Vocational and Technical Education. Our mission is to train entrepreneurial students with interdisciplinary competence, who are committed to their local values, who can follow global developments, who are software and hardware manufacturers for the purpose of providing information security, who understand the importance of the knowledge called “new oil”, with the national education universal teaching approach. Our vision is to make our school a pioneer and an example in information security education, operating at international standards in the field of information technologies within the framework of vocational and technical education, training qualified specialists for relevant institutions and organisations, especially the defence industry of our country, and adding strength to the existence of our country in cyberspace, the borders of which are as wide as our imagination. HackerU, Poland, was founded in 1997 and works to train employees in cybersecurity and new technologies. Educational programs are based on the latest generation of cybersecurity specialists and adapt them to the current requirements of the labor market. In Poland, HackerU works closely with the university of Warsaw. Olemisen Balanssia Ry Our aim is to be an independent and research-based non-profit entity that contributes to the structural transformation in education for the development of the people and society by creating a common mind from qualified data, constructive dialogue and different opinions. The main focus of our work is the definition of educational needs, with activities focussed on data collection, structured research, and constructive dialogue. Inspired by the Finnish educational model, we prioritise social-emotional learning alongside cutting-edge educational technologies by providing a solid education in science, mathematics, and technology and developing the transversal skills to work collaboratively and creatively with others. Project coordinator Assoc. prof. dr. Renata Danielienė Project administrators Vilnius University Kaunas Faculty Project website Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
ABOUT
RESULTS
PARTNERS
Vilnius University
Liceul Tehnologic, “Grigore C. Moisil” Buzau
The Women4Cyber Foundation, established as a non-profit organisation in 2019, is committed to advancing women's participation in the cybersecurity field, reducing the skills gap, and improving their access to employment opportunities. Our mission revolves around building a strong cybersecurity community through networking, awareness, education, and training. We actively promote women's voices through social media and events, enhance their engagement in cybersecurity education, and champion female role models while providing access to training programmes to facilitate entry, up- skilling, or re-skilling in cybersecurity. Through these efforts, we aspire to break down barriers and create a more inclusive and equitable landscape, empowering women to thrive in this critical industry.
Ecosistemas Virtuales Y Modulares SL
Prios Kompetanse AS
Teknopark Istanbul Mesleki Ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi (TeknoparkMTAL)
Hackeru Polska Spolka Z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnoscia
Olemisen Balanssia ry is a tech-driven entity founded in year 2014 in Raisio, Southwest Finland conducting research and development studies in the fields of formal education, trainings, establishing national and international networks, combining theoretical and methodological studies with real-life field studies. Olemisen contributes to educational intelligence and cybersecurity fundamentals through many projects.
CONTACT
Institute of Social Sciences and Applied Informatics
www.cyberagents.eu