“Joint Cyber Workforce Development Initiative to Enable The European Industry to Overcome the Shortage of Cybersecurity Professionals” Erasmus Project

Project Title

“Joint Cyber Workforce Development Initiative to Enable The European Industry to Overcome the Shortage of Cybersecurity Professionals”

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship); ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Cooperation between educational institutions and business

Project Summary

CONTEXT
In order to stay competitive and generate sustainable growth, European manufacturing SMEs need to keep up with Industry 4.0, which contributes to the merge of the physical and digital systems. The heavy reliance on computer systems, however, poses numerous challenges for the companies and Industry 4.0 in general.

In recent years, one of the most pressing problems of the digital world is cybersecurity and data privacy protection. SMEs’ defence capacity is typically weaker compared to large enterprises and figures suggest that only 14% of the affected SMEs can recover on their own. What is more, „60% of SMEs which undergo a cyber-attack lose their business within 6 months” (National Cyber Security Alliance) and “Manufacturers are much more prone to threats to their security because of connectivity in IT and OT systems through Industry 4.0 digitalization,” (2017 Verizon data breach report).

At the same time, SMEs manufacturing executives lack cybersecurity managing tools to assess their cyber risks and make sound decisions during a security incident. In addition, most manufacturing companies across Europe do not have a cyber team due to lack of talent. Responding to these challenges, ENISA stated that “to address the lack of IoT and Industry 4.0 security talent, it is essential to cultivate such knowledge both within and across organisational boundaries. Persons in charge of security within Industry 4.0 organizations should invest in state-of-the-art dedicated cybersecurity trainings that cover all necessary aspects specific to IT/OT convergence and Smart manufacturing. Lastly, trainings and courses at schools and universities (considering localisation to reach a wider audience) will further promote a better understanding of Industry 4.0 security among younger generations and thus in the long-term will contribute to raising awareness.”

OBJECTIVES
The Encrypt 4.0 main aim is to strengthen the capacity of manufacturing SMEs to ensure security of their data in the Industry 4.0 context and to contribute to tackling the cyber security workforce shortage via creating a comprehensive training package.
The specific objectives of the project are:
+ Enabling manufacturing SMEs management to adopt a proactive approach towards cybersecurity by supporting them in the process of analysing, identifying and tackling the cyber risks and threats applicable to their organisations
+ Promoting interactive project-based learning with regards to boosting cyber-security skills and competences of SMEs’ employees or/and cybersecurity professionals;
+ Strengthening peer-to-peer dialogue in the field of cyber security and give free access to critical analyses of lessons learned and cyber defence roadmaps

TARGET GROUPS
• Executives and head of departments in manufacturing SMEs;
• Employees and/or cybersecurity professionals from manufacturing SMEs transitioning to Industry 4.0;
• Vocational students with technical profiles;
• VET trainers/consultants in the field of cybersecurity.

INTELLECTUAL OUTPUTS
01: Encrypt 4.0 Cyber Risk Audit Matrix (CRAM) – a comprehensive tool aimed at supporting managers of manufacturing SMEs to perform a comprehensive analysis of their processes taking into account the use of innovative Industry 4.0-based technological solutions and identify cyber risks and support them into designing and setting effective controls at place.
O2: Encrypt 4.0 Cyber security training lab – a flexible online training tool that will follow a project-based training approach and where SMEs employees and other interested parties will be able to work collaboratively on different projects and case studies and thus boost their cyber-security skills.
O3: Encrypt 4.0 Documental battery on cyber attacks – a tool which will give access to critical analysis of real cyber-attacks and lessons learned as well as roadmaps on how to prevent, identify, tackle and recover from them. The documental battery will be available online and interested parties will be able to share their experience with cyber-attacks and thus ensure constant upgrade and sustainability of the project output.

IMPACT
The overall long-term impact sought by the project is to contribute to diminishing the skills & knowledge gaps between cybersecurity skills provided by VET and the ones sought by employers in the manufacturing sector, through the creation of sustainable VET-business cooperation.

TRANSNATIONAL DIMENSION
Since Encrypt 4.0 aims to provide manufacturing SMEs across Europe with a package of tools to combat cyber treats, a pan-European effort is needed, ensured by the extensive expertise of all partner organisations. What is more, the transnational nature of cyber-attacks prompts that cyber crime goes beyond national boarders and only through shared knowledge and practices it can be adequately addressed.

Project Website

http://www.encrypt40.eu

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 247822 Eur

Project Coordinator

Universitatea de Medicina, Farmacie, Stinte si Tehnologie George Emil Palade din Tirgu Mures & Country: RO

Project Partners

• EUROPEAN CENTER FOR QUALITY OOD
• INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA E QUALIDADE
• PCX COMPUTERS & INFORMATION SYSTEMS LTD
• FH JOANNEUM GESELLSCHAFT MBH
• Avantalia Soluciones S.L.