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Virtual Routes Co-Director James Shires attends the launch of Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars in Poland

Image: Kamil Kozielewicz / Kreatyw! Media
Cybersecurity Seminars

On Wednesday 29 January, Virtual Routes Co-Director Dr James Shires attended the launch of the Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars program in Poland. Senior representatives from the two participating universities - Warsaw University of Technology and Adam Mickiewicz University - officially started their programs, aiming to provide practical cybersecurity education to students and impactful cybersecurity assistance to local communities.

In front of an audience of over 150 students from both universities, Dr Shires spoke about the importance of cybersecurity education that properly prepares students for a professional career. Given the extensive skills gap in the cybersecurity industry in Europe, practical skills are in high demand in the cybersecurity profession, but Dr Shires stressed that the benefits of the Cybersecurity Seminars program go far beyond this. Whatever career paths students take in the future, a grounding in basic cybersecurity concepts, along with the transferable skills gained from interacting with local community organizations, will be an immense benefit. 

Dr Shires went on to highlight that local communities are central to this program for two reasons. First, they are just as likely to be targeted by cyber threats as more well-resourced organizations, but they are much less likely to have adequate defences in place or the knowledge and resources to respond appropriately. Local communities are therefore a relatively soft target for cyber attackers. Second, the impact can be much greater. Local community organizations provide key services and make a meaningful difference to people’s lives. If these functions are disrupted by a cyber incident, then the human impact may be higher than a cyber incident affecting a larger organization.

Dr Shires concluded by noting the complementary designs of the Cybersecurity Seminar programs run by the two participating universities. The universities plan to run in-semester courses, summer schools, awareness training, and tailored outreach to specific local communities - especially via schools - to maximize the impact of the program. For the students involved, it will be two very exciting and very rewarding years.

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