Digital competencies and skills, especially cyber literacy, are urgently needed in an ever more digitalized world for minimizing risks and ensuring data and information protection. The growing numbers of cyber-attacks affect private persons, SMEs and corporations: CS becomes an urgent topic for employers and employees. The partners identified common problems and needs in GE, IT and PT, namely missing recognition of SMEs on the relevance of informing, sensitizing, and training non-technical staff for CS matters, missing focus of edu. institutions on trainings for non-technical/non-IT staff or VET learners on the topic of CS, insufficient preparation of VET teachers and trainers with knowledge and tools to hold trainings for non-technical staff/VET learners and the lack of online training programs aiming to raise awareness and train CS subjects mimicking real-life and real-work environments in an engaging way. With the three outputs, the project addressed exactly the needs. O1 puts together CS cases that serve for edu. purposes, based on real-life examples to VET trainers. O2 is relevant for the improvement of CS awareness and skills and supports information reception and knowledge application. O3 provides VET online training.
Covid-19 gave a push to digitalization: processes have been shifted into the virtual space, work was organized remotely, new business models have been created. While the use of ICT infrastructures and technologies by individuals, organizations, and industries has increased rapidly, several studies show that the frequency and sophistication of cyber-attacks have also grown, posing a significant threat to the internal security of the European Union. The most valuable resources – data, information, and know-how – must be well protected. Protection cannot only take place on IT-level but must be incorporated and practiced by all employees /staff members. Being human factor one of the biggest vulnerabilities for cyber threats, it is essential to equip staff with knowledge, skills and competencies in this field. ENISA underlined the urgency to invest in building competences and talents in cybersecurity at all levels, from the non-expert to the highly skilled professional. This is exactly where the EyesOnCS comes in. It aims at giving a better understanding of CS, improving CS skills among non-technical staff/VET learners through the development of an innovative online training on Cyber Security by using the “Escape Room” approach.