VU and three other European universities will train cyber security and cyber intelligence experts

Universities from four countries are joining forces to introduce a new master’s degree program that will train computer scientists – experts in cyber security and cyber intelligence. The Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics of Vilnius University (VU MIF) together with its partners will provide students with a unique opportunity to acquire higher education in these extremely promising fields.

“The world is changing rapidly, and the fields of cyber security and digital intelligence are extremely important for joint research, collective defense, and solving current and future challenges.” The digital space is a relatively new space where crimes or manipulations that cross national borders take place,” says one of the creators of the program, VU MIF lecturer Assoc. Linas Bukauskas.

Students who have chosen the International Cyber ​​Security and Cyber ​​Intelligence study program will study at the universities of Padua (Italy), Vilnius (Lithuania), Granada (Spain) and Minho (Portugal). They will be given the opportunity to travel between these universities and listen to live lectures. The studies will start in Italy and end in Portugal. Students will develop their profile as a cyber professional throughout their studies, and at the final stage will prepare a Master’s Thesis and demonstrate their skills and knowledge at the final Cyber ​​Security Capture the flag (CTF) conference.

VU MIF assistant professor Agnė Brilingaitė says that this new study program has many advantages: “Studies at different universities will provide an opportunity to develop intercultural competences, experience and evaluate university learning traditions, better understand career opportunities and cyber security challenges of individual countries, different origins of digital threats and incidents and legal regulation of risk management. In addition, these studies are not only about learning, but also about creating a professional network of acquaintances. We hope that the graduates of the program will be ambassadors of the four universities, with a broad horizon and a unique set of competences, willing and able to increase cyber security in Europe and globally.”

After completing the International Cyber ​​Security and Cyber ​​Intelligence study program, graduates will be able to apply their knowledge not only in the field of cyber security, but also in cyber intelligence and analytical organizations operating on an international scale. This master’s study program is prepared by the European University Alliance “Arqus” initiative. The program will give students access to the alliance’s resources, activities and will open opportunities to receive study grants and other support, as well as to continue their studies in other European countries.

The program not only complies with the European Cybersecurity Skills Framework (Eng. European Cybersecurity Skills Framework, ECSF) requirements, but also prepares students for various job roles related to cyber security and intelligence. These include, but are not limited to, roles as Chief Information Security Officer, Cyber ​​Legal, Policy and Compliance Officer, Cyber ​​Threat Intelligence Specialist, Cyber ​​Security Architect, Auditor, Teacher, Implementer, Researcher, Risk Manager, Digital Forensics Investigator, and Penetration Tester.

“Cybersecurity is a very new field for which professional role structures are still being developed and refined. Due to global digitization, cyber security is relevant not only in critical infrastructure, but also in every business or public sector, as well as for all users who use services in the digital space,” says Assoc. A. Brilingaite. According to the scientist, there is now a high demand for the listed specialists and it will continue to grow. Depending on the field of activity, it is important to have members in teams who are able to assess cyber security risks, design and develop hack-resistant products, choose reliable products, train users or colleagues, perform cyber incident analysis or pre-empt potential incidents by using cyber intelligence information.

According to VU MIF lecturer Assoc. L. Bukauskas, the work of cyber security specialists covers quite a wide range of activities, so the baggage of knowledge and abilities managed by an excellent cyber security specialist must be filled not only with instrumental knowledge, but also with case studies and experiences, which are necessary for analyzing or predicting cyber security incidents. The emergence of this program contributes to reducing the shortage of cyber security specialists not only in Lithuania, but also throughout Europe. Special attention is focused on the international environment, where professionals have to work in multinational and cross-cultural environments to analyze, evaluate and defend infrastructures against hackers from other countries. VU MIF cyber security laboratory will share its experience and knowledge with students studying in the international program.

Linas Bukauskas. VU photo

The specificity of the study program is that students who have completed the bachelor’s studies in informatics will be able to expand not only the technological skills of cyber security, but also the skills of international cooperation, analysis and digital intelligence.