EU CyberNet
The European Union is funding numerous cybersecurity projects in third countries, and the European Commission therefore saw the need for an EU-wide network of cybersecurity experts to carry out such projects.
To launch the network, the European Commission chose a project by the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA) as a result of international tender in 2019.
What is EU CyberNet?
EU CyberNet is a network designed to strengthen cybersecurity globally by bridging expertise across the European Union (EU) and other regions. It aims to strengthen the global delivery, coordination and coherence of the EU’s external cyber capacity building projects and reinforces the EU’s capacity to provide technical assistance to partner countries in the field of cybersecurity and cybercrime.
During its first phase (2019-2025), EU CyberNet established itself as the EU’s flagship initiative for strengthening global cybersecurity capacity. Over six years, it built a network of more than 550 experts and 123 stakeholders, established a regional cyber capacity building centre LAC4, developed a knowledge hub and engaged with 100 countries fostering cyber resilience and cross-border collaboration. EU CyberNet has become the EU’s practical learning and coordination platform, ensuring coherence and efficiency across external cyber capacity building efforts.
One of the key subprojects of the first phase of EU CyberNet was the launch and management of the Latin America and Caribbean Cyber Competence Centre (LAC4). LAC4 was founded in 2021 in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic. The centre organises cyber security training, exercises, and consultations across the LAC region, involving other EU projects and partner countries.
The second phase (2025-2028) of EU CyberNet aims to deepen and expand the EU’s CCB efforts through a strategic, coordinated and expert-driven approach. Building on the achievements and international recognition of the 1st phase, the follow-up phase will scale up support to EU institutions and partner countries, broaden regional engagement - particularly in the Indo-Pacific - and strengthen collaboration with other EU-funded initiatives to ensure coherence, complementarity and sustainability of results.
The second phase is focusing on following:
- Strengthening cyber capacity globally through EU cooperation by maintaining and expanding the Expert Pool and Stakeholder Community for coordinated approach to cyber capacity building
- Providing on-demand support to EU partner countries
- Strengthening cyber resilience of states in the Indo-Pacific region by supporting cybersecurity policy and strategy development, advancing cyber crisis prevention and response mechanisms, promoting cybersecurity culture and enhancing partner countries’ cyber diplomacy efforts.
EU CyberNet 2nd phase is implemented by the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA) together with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Duration of the project: 1 September 2019 – 31 August 2028
Total budget of the project: 15,599,500 €
The project will be implemented under the guidance of the Estonian Information System Authority, in cooperation with Tehnopol Startup Incubator and Estonian Business and Innovation Agency. The overall objective of the project is to advance the maturity of the cybersecurity sector across Estonia by supporting the necessary capacities and increasing capabilities across the cybersecurity sector.
NCCEE2 has the following objectives:
- Creating a lasting impact in building capacities in the cybersecurity industry, research, and technology, working alongside the cybersecurity community through events, knowledge sharing, sustainable innovation programs and collaboration;
- Promoting innovation and the practical use of research results and facilitating participation in cross-border projects and entrepreneurship;
- Increasing the number of specialists and youth acquiring knowledge and training in the field of cybersecurity, with a special focus on women and girls;
- Promoting and supporting the uptake and dissemination of state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions by all actors in society, with special attention paid to small and medium sized enterprises.
Duration of the project: 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2029
Project´s budget: 5,364,038.4 €
Project partners: The project is implemented under the guidance of the Estonian Information System Authority, in cooperation with Tehnopol Startup Incubator and Estonian Business and Innovation Agency.
Completed projects
The project was implemented under the guidance of the Estonian Information System Authority, in cooperation with Tehnopol Startup Incubator and Estonian Business and Innovation Agency. The overall objective of the project was to advance the maturity of the cybersecurity sector across Estonia by supporting the necessary capacities and increasing capabilities across the cybersecurity sector.
Duration of the project: 1 March 2023 – 31 March 2025
Total budget of the project: 3,585,000 €
Related documents
Deliverables
Launched in 2018, Cyber4Dev was the first global European Union project for promoting cybersecurity.
Four countries and partners participated in the project: Northern Ireland (Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas (NI-CO) as the lead partner), Estonia (Information System Authority), the United Kingdom (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office), and the Netherlands (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
The overall goal of the project was to support the enhancement of cybersecurity in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean through training and counselling programs.
Three main areas were included within the scope of the project:
- assistance in the development and implementation of cybersecurity strategies (training and exercises related to the protection of critical infrastructure, raising awareness, risk and crisis management);
- enhancing the operational capacity of CSIRTs (training related to organisational structure, management, and work processes);
- supporting regional and international cooperation.
In 2022, the priority target countries of the project were Sri Lanka, Botswana, Mauritius, Rwanda, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Laos, and Cambodia.
A comprehensive approach was taken to the target countries of the project – first, the state of cybersecurity was assessed, shortcomings and training needs were identified, training plans were prepared, and then, various trainings and exercises were conducted and legislative assistance was provided.
In addition to the target countries, the project accepted applications from countries in the project area that needed assistance in developing a specific area of cybersecurity, such as developing a cybersecurity strategy, mapping critical infrastructure, planning and conducting a cybersecurity exercise, setting up a CSIRT, etc.
Between 2018 and March 2022, the project organised 235 trainings and several seminars and conferences globally for over 7,005 participants from the target countries. We supported the participation of over 72 experts from the target countries in international professional forums all over the world.
51 Estonian experts from Information System Authority (RIA) and other organisations participated in the Cyber4Dev project by providing training or as advisers.
Duration of the project: 1 January 2018 – 12 June 2023
Total budget of the project: 11,050,000 €
Seven countries were involved in the project: France (lead partner), Italy, Spain, Belgium, Slovakia, Slovenia and Estonia.
The objective of the project was to support the international cooperation and competitiveness among cybersecurity small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Project in Estonia
The project developed entrepreneurship and innovation in cybersecurity in Estonia. To achieve this goal, policy instruments were developed and national co-operation and international consultations with project partners were organized. Estonian companies had the opportunity to establish relationships with partner regions and companies and the State Information System Authority has a better understanding of how to support innovation nationally.
The aim of the project was to look at the Estonian cybersecurity ecosystem, map the existing stakeholders, find the concerns in the ecosystem and systematically tackle them.
Expected outcome of the project:
- Consultations and analysis (e.g. SWOT analysis) are done for a better cooperation and more competitive international expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
- Plans and mapping are created for a better collaboration and information sharing within the Estonian cybersecurity ecosystem.
- Sharing of good practices and recommendations is done on an ongoing basis among project partners.
Project duration: 1 June 2018 – 31 May 2023
Project budget: 1,864,242 €
Funding: Interreg Europe
Funding amount in Estonia: 167,267.25 €
Last updated: 22.03.2026
