Learn how AI and cybersecurity can transform Belgium's SMEs and public sector, bridging the skills gap with CYCERONE's free training programs supported by EIT Digital.
In December 2022, officials in Antwerp arrived at City Hall to discover an alarming reality: overnight, hackers had infiltrated the city's IT network, encrypting files and paralyzing digital services. This ransomware attack wasn't an isolated incident but a wake-up call highlighting a troubling trend: Belgium faces a 29% increase in cyberattacks in the first quarter of 2025, with organizations bombarded on average 1,925 times per week by malicious breach attempts. The average cyber incident can cost an SME up to €4 million in recovery expenses, lost business, and reputational damage. Against this critical backdrop, the CYCERONE project, supported by the European Union and led by 28 Digital, emerges as a strategic response to strengthen cybersecurity competencies in Belgian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the public sector.
Despite 70% of Belgian companies believe they are likely cyber targets, only 46% have implemented multi-factor authentication on their systems. This paradox reveals a structural problem: the lack of specialized cybersecurity competencies. Research indicates that nearly 40% of Belgian companies have no formal cybersecurity strategy, and only 20% have a security professional on staff, with the remaining 80% entrusting cybersecurity to general IT managers or no one at all.
Artificial intelligence can help compensate for the shortage of specialized personnel through tools that automate threat detection and response, provide predictive risk analysis, simplify security management for non-technical staff, and enable continuous learning and adaptation.
Belgian companies are already recognizing this potential; the challenge lies in bridging the gap between awareness and implementation.
As Belgium's digital future depends on the ability of SMEs and public sector organizations to adapt to cybersecurity challenges, the CYCERONE project offers them unprecedented opportunities for transformation that extend far beyond traditional training approaches.
Its mission centers on providing free, specialized cybersecurity training tailored for SMEs and public administrations.
For SMEs, the program provides access to world-class training at no cost, enabling organizations to develop internal capabilities without additional overhead while obtaining European-recognized certifications and building competitive advantages through enhanced security posture. Public sector organizations can improve digital service security for citizens, train personnel with customized programs, strengthen public trust in digital government, and ensure regulatory compliance with European standards.
CYCERONE is also strategically positioned within the broader European digital transformation framework, directly supporting key EU initiatives that shape the continent's digital future.
- The Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027) forms a cornerstone of CYCERONE's approach. The project aligns with the EU's vision of high-quality, inclusive, and accessible digital education by developing specialized cybersecurity curricula adapted to the digital age, providing flexible learning formats including in-person, online, and hybrid options, ensuring accessibility across European regions and demographics, and creating pathways for continuous professional development.
- The Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition benefits from CYCERONE's multi-stakeholder approach. The project contributes to this partnership by fostering collaboration between universities, industry, and public sector organizations, developing market-relevant cybersecurity competencies that address real-world challenges.
-The European Skills Agenda finds direct support through CYCERONE's comprehensive approach to workforce development. The project advances the agenda's goals through upskilling and reskilling initiatives targeting current workforce needs, quality assurance in cybersecurity education and training, innovation in skills development using cutting-edge pedagogical approaches, and inclusive participation ensuring diverse learner backgrounds
can access opportunities.
- The Digital Europe Programme receives substantial contribution from CYCERONE as part of this €7.5 billion initiative. The project strengthens Europe's digital capacity and competitiveness, enhances cybersecurity resilience across member states, supports the digital transformation of SMEs and public administrations, and builds strategic digital autonomy for Europe.
The CYCERONE project represents a significant step toward closing the European cybersecurity skills gap through a standardized, high-quality training framework.
As part of CYCERONE's consortium of partners, 28 Digital is leading the project’s governance, platform design and deployment, training customization, leveraging its expertise in European educational initiatives. The organization is currently taking part in more than 40 European projects, including SPECTRO (Specialized Education programmes in Cybersecurity and Robotics) and EMAI4EU (Emotion Artificial Intelligence specialists for Europe). This successful track record validates EIT Digital's unique approach that combines technical excellence with double-degree master's programs, innovation and entrepreneurship fostering market-ready solutions, and pan-
European collaboration with top-tier partners.
Explore CYCERONE to learn more about available training opportunities, assess your organizational needs, engage with local representatives, and develop a strategic approach to cybersecurity education that positions your organization for success in the digital age.
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