INSIGHTS HUB

Press release | Pilot Program for Enhancing Cybersecurity Skills Gaps in Ukraine Scales Up: 6 Universities, 2 Tracks, and Real-World Cyber Scenarios

September 16, 2026

September 16, 2026

The Pilot Program for Enhancing Cybersecurity Skills Gaps in Ukraine returns in 2026 at twice the scale, bringing together six Ukrainian universities and two practical training tracks: SOC Analyst and Cyber Threat Intelligence & Incident Response. Students and faculty will gain hands-on cybersecurity experience through bootcamps, CybExer cyber range training, CTF competitions and professional certification, while the developed programs will later be integrated into university curricula.

The Pilot Program for Enhancing Cybersecurity Skills Gaps in Ukraine returns in 2026 at twice the scale. Six Ukrainian universities are now joining the program, and students will train in two practical tracks — SOC Analyst and Cyber Threat Intelligence & Incident Response. Intensive bootcamps, work with realistic cyber scenarios on the CybExer cyber range, and CTF competitions will help participants move from academic knowledge to practical skills needed to work with real-world cyber threats.

The program continues the international initiative to advance practical cybersecurity education in Ukraine. While three universities joined the pilot stage last year, this year the number has increased to six:

Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University
• Cherkasy State Technological University
• Lviv State University of Life Safety
• Lutsk National Technical University
• Khmelnytskyi National University
• Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture

The program is implemented by the Ukrainian company Security Expert Group (SEG) and the Estonian cybersecurity company CybExer with the support of the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV).

The partners’ shared goal is not only to bridge the gap between academic education and practical cybersecurity competencies, but also to create a sustainable model for training specialists within universities: train faculty, provide students with hands-on experience, and integrate the developed programs and materials into the educational process of partner universities.

From September 30 to October 9, program participants will take part in two intensive bootcamps.

SOC Analyst — a track focused on Security Operations Center work: monitoring security events, analyzing potential threats, detecting suspicious activity, and responding to incidents.

Cyber Threat Intelligence & Incident Response — a track focused on identifying and analyzing cyber threats, studying attacker tactics and techniques, responding to incidents, containing attacks, and recovering from them.

Participants will not only gain theoretical knowledge but will immediately apply it in practice. Students will work with realistic cyberattack scenarios on the CybExer cyber range, analyze security events, identify threats, and make decisions in conditions designed to closely reflect the work of real cyber defense teams.

This format allows future specialists to see what working with cyber threats looks like not only in theory, but in a real operational environment.

The next stage of the program will be a practical assessment of the acquired skills in a Capture the Flag (CTF) format.

October 22 — SOC Analyst qualification CTF
October 23 — Cyber Threat Intelligence & Incident Response qualification CTF

During the qualification competitions, participants will have to analyze cyber incidents, identify signs of attacks, respond to threats, and complete practical tasks under time constraints.

This is an opportunity to test not only technical knowledge, but also the ability to analyze situations, make decisions, and act in conditions close to the real work of cybersecurity teams.

The top participants from the two qualification stages will meet in the final in November 2026.

One of the key goals of the Pilot Program for Enhancing Cybersecurity Skills Gaps in Ukraine is to help bridge the gap between academic education and the practical competencies required by today’s cybersecurity field.

For students, this is an opportunity to gain practical experience while still at university, work with realistic cyber scenarios, and develop the skills needed by future SOC analysts and Cyber Threat Intelligence & Incident Response specialists.

Expanding from three to six universities and launching the second track — Cyber Threat Intelligence & Incident Response — mark the next stage in the program’s development and make it possible to involve more students in practical cybersecurity training.

From Training Participants to Systemic Change at Universities

An important part of the Pilot Program for Enhancing Cybersecurity Skills Gaps in Ukraine is to create an impact that lasts far beyond a single training cycle.

The program includes training not only for students, but also for faculty members from relevant departments at partner universities. Faculty members will complete specialized training followed by international professional certification from EC-Council under the Certified SOC Analyst (CSA) and Certified Incident Handling (ECIH) programs.

The main long-term outcome of the project is the subsequent integration of the developed training programs into the educational process of partner universities. This will make it possible to use the created materials not only for participants in the current stage, but also to train future cohorts of students in the relevant specialties.

Thus, the project follows a clear model: train faculty → teach students → integrate the program into university education. This approach makes it possible to scale the knowledge and practical experience gained and ensure maximum long-term value from the theoretical and practical materials developed.

Ukrainian and Estonian Expertise in One Project

At the heart of the program is a partnership between Ukraine and Estonia that combines local expertise, international experience, modern hands-on training technologies, and support for the development of Ukrainian cybersecurity education.

Security Expert Group (SEG) is a Ukrainian company working in cybersecurity and professional training. SEG develops practical cybersecurity education in Ukraine, engages industry practitioners, and works to prepare a new generation of Ukrainian specialists capable of countering modern cyber threats.

CybExer is an Estonian cybersecurity company with international expertise in cyber range technologies and hands-on specialist training. CybExer technologies make it possible to create realistic cyber environments, simulate attacks, and practice response scenarios in controlled conditions. Within the program, the CybExer cyber range provides the environment for students’ practical work.

The project is implemented with the support of the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), an Estonian government foundation that delivers international development programs and facilitates the transfer of Estonian expertise to partner countries, including Ukraine.

The combination of Security Expert Group’s Ukrainian expertise, CybExer’s technologies and international experience, and ESTDEV’s support makes it possible to scale the program and create a practical environment for Ukrainian students to develop professional cybersecurity skills.

The Pilot Program for Enhancing Cybersecurity Skills Gaps in Ukraine is an investment in a new generation of Ukrainian cybersecurity professionals and in strengthening Ukraine’s cyber resilience through education, practical training, and international partnership.