WB3C Brings Cybercrime Training Directly to Institutions Across Bosnia and Herzegovina

17.06.2026

This week in Banja Luka, 15-17 June 2026, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Srpska, our cybercrime trainers Yannick Casse and Cyril Corrias worked directly with police officers, delivering a tailored programme on cybercrime investigations, OSINT, digital evidence, blockchain and cryptocurrencies, developed in response to specific needs identified by the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The training combined theory, practical exercises and discussions on emerging challenges facing law enforcement in the digital environment.

For WB3C, this marks an important step in bringing capacity building closer to practitioners. While much of our work takes place at the regional level, we are increasingly supporting our beneficiaries where they operate every day — in their own institutions and countries.

The Banja Luka training is part of a broader outreach effort in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Next week, our team will continue in Sarajevo, where a dedicated programme for prosecutors and judges will be delivered in cooperation with the Justice Academy.

This engagement follows extensive consultations with institutions across Bosnia and Herzegovina, including both the Banja Luka and Sarajevo training academies. Together, we designed a programme that reflects their specific operational realities and training priorities.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's complex administrative structure creates unique challenges for cybersecurity governance and the fight against cybercrime. Strengthening cooperation, skills and institutional capacities across different levels of government is therefore particularly important. We were pleased to be able to respond to the needs identified by our partners and contribute to these efforts.

We also welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina's growing engagement in regional cooperation. The country's participation in the recent ministerial delegation to the Paris Cyber Summit demonstrated a clear interest in contributing constructively to regional cybersecurity dialogue and capacity building.

Supporting institutions where they are, responding to their specific needs, and connecting national efforts with regional cooperation remains at the heart of WB3C's mission.

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.