Events

Today, we are launching a four-day regional training on Enhancing Cyber Resilience Across Critical Sectors through NIS2 Alignment, organised in cooperation with the The World Bank Group.
The training brings together regional representatives working across government, regulation, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure and policy. Over the next four days, participants will explore what NIS2 alignment means in practice for the Western Balkans, and how stronger cyber governance can help protect the critical services our societies rely on, from energy and telecommunications to transport, water, health and public administration.
This is especially relevant for our region. Cyber incidents do not stop at borders, and neither do the systems, services and supply chains that connect us. Building resilience requires clear institutional roles, practical incident reporting mechanisms, proportionate supervision, stronger risk management and better regional coordination.
The training will focus on practical policy choices and implementation challenges, including:
• identifying essential and important entities
• strengthening governance and accountability
• designing incident reporting and coordination pathways
• understanding supervision and enforcement approaches
• addressing supply-chain risk
• developing realistic implementation roadmaps
By the end of the training, participants will work towards concrete outputs, including national choices maps, incident coordination diagrams, supervisory capability gap lists and 24-month roadmaps for priority technical assistance and investment needs.
Through this cooperation, WB3C and the World Bank Group are supporting regional efforts to move from awareness to implementation, helping institutions make informed decisions, align with European cybersecurity standards and strengthen resilience across critical sectors.
The training is led by Mladen Bukilic, SOC Manager and CISO at Čikom, Montenegro and Vincent Desroches of EU4CYBER.

This week, WB3C is particularly vibrant with activity with four parallel sessions taking place: Cyber Vigilance for Children, Practical Implications of NIS2 Alignment for Large Systems, Data Protection Officer certification course and our regular monthly Cybersecurity Diploma Course. Let's reflect on what the student of this one-year course are covering this two-week intensive:
This month, the focus is on penetration testing - hands-on training and exercise. 
Students are learning concepts and at the same time, they are testing systems, identifying vulnerabilities and understanding how attacks actually unfold in practice. Through such exercises they are able to develop the understanding and precision required in real-world cybersecurity roles.

Every month, a two-week intensive course prepares the students for most in-demand entry roles including: Security administrator, SOC analyst, Junior penetration tester, Digital forensics technician and Cybersecurity auditor. 

This 1-year course is delivered in cooperation with the Université de Technologie de Troyes and led by the lecturers of this university.

Resilient critical infrastructure depends on secure networks, prepared teams and the ability to keep essential services running when cyber incidents occur.
This was the focus of WB3C’s regional training on Network Security for medium and large networks, hosted on 18–19 May in partnership with Slovenia Government Agency for Cybersecurity - URSIV (Urad Vlade Republike Slovenije za informacijsko varnost) and led by Slovenian expert Primoz Bratanic.
The training brought together institutions whose work is closely connected to the stability of public services, government systems and essential infrastructure across the Western Balkans. Participants came from the Secretariat for Legislation - Government of R.Macedonia and the Ministry of Digital Transformation (Министерство за дигитална трансформација) of North Macedonia, Serbia’s Jaroslav Černi Water Institute, the Autoriteti Kombëtar për Sigurinë Kibernetike / National Cyber Security Authority of Albania, GOV-CIRT within Montenegro’s Crnogorski elektrodistributivni sistem, the Agencija za sajber bezbjednost Crne Gore / Cybersecurity Agency of Montenegro, and Ministry of Digitalization and Public Administration - Kosovo.
Over the two days, participants worked through practical approaches to making complex networks safer, reducing unnecessary exposure, recognising early warning signs and responding before a cyber incident disrupts services, operations or public trust.
A ransomware scenario was also part of the training, with a focus on the decisions institutions need to make under pressure: how to contain the incident, preserve evidence, coordinate internally and plan recovery.
For Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C), this type of regional training is directly linked to the wider goal of strengthening cyber resilience of critical infrastructure - the systems, services and institutions that citizens rely on every day.
Thank you to Igor Kovač of Urad Vlade Republike Slovenije za informacijsko varnost, Primoz Bratanic and all participating institutions for two productive days and great engagement as a group.

Children grow up online long before they fully understand what the online world can expose them to. This is why early cyber vigilance is important, whether as part of the school curriculum or informal education for children and teens. 
This week, Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C) delivered a three-hour course titled "Our Digital Space: Screen Time Balance & Online Safety", for children of the French School in Montenegro. The session was prepared and delivered by our in-house trainers for cybercrime Cyril CORRIAS and Yannick CASSE, with a simple but important goal: to help children build safer, healthier and more responsible digital habits.
The session covered screen time balance, with age-appropriate recommendations from early childhood to teenage years, as well as the basics of online safety: strong passwords, privacy, social media, and how to recognise situations that should not be ignored.
The session also opened the discussion on child protection online — from risky content and behaviour to reporting mechanisms, parental controls and the role of schools in preventing online bullying and harassment.
To make the learning practical and engaging, the children took part in a group-game questionnaire and received their individual Internet License at the end of the morning.
Cybersecurity education does not begin with technology, it begins with awareness, good habits and the confidence to ask for help when something feels wrong online.

WB3C was pleased to participate in the Čikom Cyber Security Days, which this year focused on cyber resilience, critical infrastructure protection, Zero Trust, cloud security, and the growing impact of AI on the cyber threat landscape. 

Discussions confirmed a major trend: artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming both attackers’ capabilities and the ways governments, industry and security communities approach defence, investigations and cooperation.

WB3C highlighted the importance of strengthening regional cooperation, expertise sharing and cyber capacity building to support long-term resilience across the Western Balkans and beyond.

Thank you to the organisers, speakers and partners for the excellent discussions and for providing such an important platform for strategic dialogue.
 

Four days in the training room, focused on a topic where online traces can make a very real difference: OSINT for Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) and Migrant Smuggling.
WB3C has just concluded this regional training for law enforcement units, organised together with Marie Pierre MOSIN, EU4FAST and CIVIPOL and delivered by our in-house trainer Cyril CORRIAS.
For investigators working on THB and migrant smuggling, the digital aspect is essential. Recruitment, communication, movement, facilitation networks and financial signals often leave online traces. Knowing how to find, assess, preserve and use that information responsibly can strengthen investigations and support better cross-border cooperation.
This is why OSINT remains part of WB3C’s core programme. It connects cyber skills with real operational needs in the Western Balkans and helps law enforcement units build practical capacity against serious and organised crime.
A strong three days, with committed participants and a clear regional purpose.

In cooperation with Urad Vlade Republike Slovenije za informacijsko varnost (URSIV) za informacijsko varnost, on 12–14 May, Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C) organised the Cybersecurity for Electrical Grid Systems training for professionals working across electrical grid operations, OT/SCADA environments, substations, protection and automation, and cybersecurity management.
Over two and a half intensive days, participants worked on practical approaches to strengthening the cyber resilience of electrical grid systems, including:
• threat modelling for control centre and substation environments
• secure OT architecture, zoning and remote access
• OT telemetry, logging and detection engineering
• incident response decision-making and recovery planning
• practical exercises, tabletop scenarios and mitigation planning

Critical infrastructure cybersecurity requires close cooperation, operational understanding and continuous capacity building. This training supported practitioners to strengthen preparedness, improve response coordination and build more resilient electrical grid environments across the region.

Special thanks to URSIV and Igor Kovač for enabling this training led by Primoz Bratanic, and thank you to all participants for their active engagement.

The traditional annual gathering of young cyber talent, organised by Autoriteti Kombëtar për Sigurinë Kibernetike / National Cyber Security Authority (AKSK) in Albania, took place again this year, bringing together young professionals from across the Western Balkans.
Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C) was glad to be part of this great regional event once again.
The WesternBalkansCyberCamp 2026 combined keynote remarks, panel discussions, expert sessions and a Capture The Flag competition, giving participants space to learn, test their skills, work in mixed regional teams and connect with peers from neighbouring countries.
WB3C contributed through participation in the panel discussion by Gilles Schwoerer and through our trainer Ronan Mouchoux, who supported the practical learning part of the programme.
What makes this camp valuable is not only the technical work, but the trust, friendships and professional links built among young people who will shape the region’s cyber future.
Thank you to Autoriteti Kombëtar për Sigurinë Kibernetike / National Cyber Security Authority , Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and OSCE Presence in Albania for supporting this important regional initiative.

From 5–8 May, WB3C delivered a dedicated OSINT training for special police forces from Montenegro, led by our in-house trainer Cyril CORRIAS.
Over four days, participants strengthened practical skills in open-source intelligence and digital investigations, including advanced online search, source verification, metadata analysis, digital evidence preservation, secure data handling and darknet awareness.
The training combined theory with case-based exercises, supporting participants in using publicly available information lawfully, responsibly, and effectively in investigative work.
OSINT remains a key part of WB3C’s cybercrime capacity-building programme because it connects cyber skills with real operational needs and helps law enforcement institutions respond to evolving digital threats.
The participants were welcomed and provided with an opening address by the French Interior Security Attaché in Belgrade Mr. Alain Rouden and Mr. IVAN JOKIC, Head of Head of the Criminal Intelligence Division at the Police Administration of Montenegro.