Cyber Education Programme (TalTech) - Estonia

It is important to develop cybersecurity skills as early as school age. TalTech's cyber education programme brings together tests, competitions, camps, educational materials and other activities for young people of different ages, through which both everyday digital safety and more in-depth cyber security skills can be developed. TalTech calls it Estonia's comprehensive cybersecurity education programme.

The programme activities are structured around different age and skill levels. Designed for students in grades 1-6, the Cyberbutton introduces the basics of digital safety and cybersecurity through playful tasks. In 2026, 7,203 students from 177 schools participated in the Cyber pin.

About this initiative

CyberPähkel addresses digital safety, privacy, technical insights, online behaviour and problem-solving for students in grades 4-9. In 2025, 8795 pupils from 181 schools took part in the test.

The Cyber Survey for students in grades 7-12 and vocational schools is already focusing on more practical digital safety and cybersecurity challenges. The competition consists of an online pre-selection round and a team-based basic round. In the 2025 pre-selection round, 3 638 learners from 96 schools participated.

CyberNaaskel is a top-level competition for young people aged 14-25. This is a CTF-type cybersecurity competition, through which participants are also selected for the international European Cyber Security Challenge competition in Estonia.

The programme also includes CyberLaager, activities for IT teachers and educational materials on cyber education and digital competences. Since 2017, TalTech also regularly collects data on student participation, knowledge, attitudes and digital safety skills. The results of the analyses are used in the development of cyber education teaching and teaching materials.

Why is this a good practice?

The strength of TalTech's Cyber Education program is that activities are offered to young people of different ages and skill levels. Primary classes begin with the main topics of digital safety and safe use of the Internet, and more practical and technical tasks are offered to older students. The program is not limited to one test or competition. CyberNeedle, CyberNut, CyberStudy and CyberStudy allow young people to test their knowledge at different stages, complemented by camps, learning materials and activities for teachers.

The programme demonstrates substantial and sustained national reach, engaging tens of thousands of young people annually and involving schools across Estonia. Beyond awareness-raising, its model combines competence assessment, practical cybersecurity challenges and talent identification, creating a progression pathway from basic digital safety to advanced cyber skills. Regular research conducted since 2017 allows TalTech to identify gaps in young people's cybersecurity knowledge and feed findings back into curricula, teaching materials and awareness activities. The programme has also established links between school-level cybersecurity education, university admission and international competitions, helping create a structured pipeline for future cybersecurity talent. TalTech reported in 2023 that around 90,000 young people had participated in its cyber-defence and cybersecurity programmes over eight years.