Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos Visits WB3C

26.03.2026

Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos visited the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C) in Podgorica today, as part of her official visit to Montenegro.
During her visit, she met with high-level representatives of WB3C’s founding partners, including Her Excellency Anne-Marie Maskay, French Ambassador to Montenegro, Her Excellency bernarda gradišnik, Slovenian Ambassador to Montenegro and His Excellency Ivan Leković, Ambassador, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, as well as the leadership of the Centre — Naim M. GJOKAJ, Deputy Director General Elect and Gilles Schwoerer Programme Director.
Commissioner Kos was accompanied by members of her delegation, including Adele Marsullo and Andreas Gahleitner, both members of her Cabinet, Heinke Veit, Deputy Head of Unit B4, DG ENEST and His Excellency Johann Sattler, Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro.
The discussion focused on WB3C’s role in strengthening regional resilience against cyber and hybrid threats, and its contribution to the objectives of the Berlin Process and the EU accession pathway. Commissioner Kos expressed interest in how the Centre translates EU cyber priorities into operational capacity across the Western Balkans and stressed the importance of the WB3C role in supporting countries of the region in building both cyber and democratic resilience, and that EU is willing to support WB3C in this process.
With its newly formalised status as an international organisation, WB3C is further consolidating its role as a trusted regional platform, capable of scaling its support to partners across the Western Balkans and aligning its programmes more closely with European Union priorities and standards.

The visit follows the recent approval of a €3.5 million EU grant, which will support the expansion of WB3C’s core programming across cybersecurity, cybercrime and cyber diplomacy, while introducing additional focus areas such as the protection of critical infrastructure and countering disinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).

During the visit, Commissioner Kos toured the WB3C facilities and tools-based classrooms providing a first-hand view of the Centre’s practice-oriented approach and its engagement with professionals from across the region.

Other news and events

Visit by CBRN Centres of Excellence Project 101

WB3C was pleased to meet with representatives of the EU CBRN Centres of Excellence Project 101 to discuss potential cooperation in strengthening critical infrastructure protection and security.
The exchange with Alexandre Custaud, EU CBRN CoE Project 101 Team Leader and Scott S. focused on possible synergies between cybersecurity, CBRN risk mitigation and broader critical infrastructure resilience. As threats to essential services become increasingly interconnected, cross-sector cooperation is essential to support more coordinated, practical, and future-oriented capacity building.
WB3C team Gilles Schwoerer and Maja Miranovic stressed that sectoral approach in building resilience for critical infrastructure is central in our 3-year EU funded programme and expressed readiness to explore areas where our respective expertise and regional engagement can contribute to stronger resilience and security.

Police officers complete demanding 15-month journey from investigator to digital forensics graduate

When fourteen police investigators recently graduated from WB3C's Digital Forensics programme delivered in partnership with the University of Technology of Troyes (UTT), the public saw the final result: internationally recognised diplomas, successful thesis defences and a new generation of specialised cybercrime investigators.

Less visible was the work that took place behind the scenes to get there.

For fifteen months, participants balanced full-time operational duties with a university-level programme requiring approximately 1,400 hours of study. While continuing to investigate cybercrime cases and fulfil their professional responsibilities, they attended classes, completed practical assignments, conducted research and prepared professional theses.

As the programme entered its final stage, WB3C and UTT intensified their support to help participants navigate one of the most demanding parts of the academic journey: the preparation and defence of their final papers.

Participants received detailed guidance on thesis writing, academic standards and defence procedures applied by UTT. Following the submission of their papers, mentors conducted individual reviews and provided detailed feedback, recommendations and improvement points. Students then worked through revisions and refinements before receiving final confirmation that their work met the required academic standards.

Throughout this process, mentors remained available for consultations, questions and individual support, ensuring that participants could successfully bridge the gap between operational expertise and academic requirements.

The final result was more than a successful examination. It demonstrated the determination of investigators who committed to a demanding programme while remaining on active duty, and the value of sustained mentorship and international cooperation in building specialised cybercrime capabilities.

The graduation of all fourteen participants stands as a testament not only to their professional competence, but also to the perseverance required to complete a rigorous university programme alongside the realities of modern law enforcement work.

Advancing Cyber Resilience of Critical Entities through ISO 27001 Training

This week, at Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C) we are running a three-day training on ISO/IEC 27001:2022, delivered in cooperation with our partner Čikom and led by its CISO and SOC Manager Mladen Bukilic.

As countries across the region advance their alignment with European cybersecurity requirements, organisations responsible for public services and critical functions face growing expectations to manage risks in a systematic and measurable way.
The training introduces participants to the principles of Information Security Management Systems (ISMS), covering topics such as risk assessment, security governance, incident management, internal audits and continual improvement. Through practical exercises and case studies, participants develop the tools needed to translate security requirements into organisational practice.
More than a compliance exercise, ISO 27001 provides a framework for protecting information assets, strengthening organisational resilience and building trust in an increasingly interconnected environment.
The activity is delivered within the regional project "Improving the Resilience of Critical Entities and the Protection of Public Spaces and Cyberspace against Security Threats in the Western Balkans", funded by the European Union.