Our Experience and Key Takeaways from Trainings within the NGSOTI EU Funded Project

We are glad to share the overwhelmingly positive outcomes and valuable insights gained from our participation in the NGSOTI (Next Generation Security Operations and Threat Intelligence) EU Funded Project. The project has been a resounding success, allowing us to engage with a diverse audience and make significant strides in cybersecurity education and training.

A Resounding Success in Numbers

Throughout the project, we conducted 13 training sessions, reaching a total of 155 participants. These participants hailed from a variety of professional backgrounds, including the financial and academic sectors, creating a rich and collaborative learning environment.

Tailored Training for the Financial Sector

One of our key observations was the effectiveness of providing ready-to-use training materials for professionals in the financial sector. Given the fast-paced and highly regulated nature of their work, having access to practical, immediately applicable knowledge and tools proved to be the most efficient and valuable approach.

Bridging the Gap in Academia with Hands-On Tools

In the academic sector, we identified a clear need for more practical, hands-on tooling sessions for students. To address this, our training for university students focused on Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) and Threat Intelligence, utilizing cutting-edge open-source tools such as:

• MISP - A Threat-Intelligence Platform
• AIL Project (Analysis Information Leak)
• Kunai
• FlowIntel

The engagement and feedback from students were exceptional, highlighting a strong desire for this type of practical experience.

Rethinking University Curriculums: A Call for Practicality

Our experience within university settings also brought to light several shortcomings in traditional academic approaches to cybersecurity education:

• Lack of Practical Labs: There is a significant scarcity of hands-on laboratory sessions where students can apply theoretical knowledge.
• Overemphasis on GRC: Curriculums often focus heavily on Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) at the expense of practical, hands-on skills.
• Onboarding Challenges: We observed a learning curve for students who were not accustomed to hands-on lab environments.

These observations point to a tremendous opportunity for universities to rethink and modernize their cybersecurity curriculums. By incorporating more practical, tool-based training, we can better prepare the next generation of cybersecurity professionals for the real-world challenges they will face.

Conclusion

The NGSOTI project has been a rewarding experience. It has not only allowed us to share our expertise but has also provided us with invaluable insights into the diverse needs of the cybersecurity community. We are more committed than ever to championing hands-on, practical training and look forward to continuing to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and real-world application.