#EDSA25 Awards category: Cybersecurity Skills

The European Digital Skills Awards 2025 spotlight projects and initiatives that boost digital skills across Europe.  

The ''Cybersecurity Skills'' category highlights projects that empower people, employees, and SME managers with essential cybersecurity skills.  From boosting digital habits in everyday digital life, upskilling professionals in various sectors, and creating advanced cybersecurity training programs, this category will promote good practices to make Europe a "cybersecure" space!

Applications are now open, learn more and apply!

In 2023, the European Union faced a significant shortage of cybersecurity professionals, estimated between 260,000 to 500,000. Women represented only 20% of cybersecurity graduates and 19% of information and communications technology specialists. Concrete actions are needed to bridge the gender gap and meet the rising demand for skilled cybersecurity experts in Europe!

In response, as part of the 2023 European Year of Skills, the Commission introduced a Communication on a Cybersecurity Skills Academy, also known as "the Cyber Skills Academy''.  This European policy initiative aims to consolidate existing cyber skills initiatives, enhancing coordination to bridge the cybersecurity talent gap and supercharge the EU's competitiveness, growth, and resilience. 

“How would you react if you woke up to a cyberattack in the company where you work?” asks Erlend Andreas Gjære, who is co-founder and CEO of Secure Practice. “The problem is that most people don’t know what to do because they have not received proper training,”!

The project was chosen as the winner of this category because it addresses a critical gap in cybersecurity: the lack of proper training among employees. Their EU-wide campaign for interactive preparedness exercises brings together IT and security professionals to train, share perspectives, and learn collaboratively, significantly enhancing the overall security posture of organisations.