Riga Technical University (RTU) has launched a training program for cybersecurity specialists, which has attracted a large number of applicants. The training will take place in four specializations over two months, and the knowledge gained will be applied by specialists to implement specific cybersecurity measures in state and local government institutions, as well as businesses. The program aims to foster the overall development of cybersecurity capabilities in the country, ensuring more effective protection against digital threats.
A total of 573 people applied for the four courses – Cybersecurity Architecture, Cybersecurity Incident Management, Cybersecurity Management, and Cybersecurity Education. The highest demand was for the cybersecurity management track. More than half (56%) of the applicants were women, and the highest number of applicants came from Rīga, the surrounding areas, Liepāja, Ogre, Rēzekne, and Ķekava regions. Due to the high interest, RTU has created opportunities to increase the number of students.
"In the first round, we planned to admit 125 students, but due to the large number of applications, we slightly increased the number of students. For the cybersecurity management course in Riga, there were even 10 applicants for each seat. The first classes were held in Rēzekne and Liepāja," says RTU Lecturer Rūta Pirta.
The training programs were developed thanks to the Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars initiative, which provided RTU with $850,000 in funding. The project will last for two years, with several student intakes planned, training 300 students in various academic disciplines.
Applications will be open again in the fall and spring of the next year.
The main target audience for the Google.org supported seminars are women, who are traditionally underrepresented in the IT sector, and residents of regions with limited access to modern training programs. The educational project will last for two years, so students who were not admitted in this round will be able to reapply for the sessions in the fall of this year and in 2026.
"This is the first project of its scale in Latvia, so after the first courses, we will gather feedback on the topics of interest, the necessary skills, as well as convenient class times and formats to adapt the content and form to meet the needs of students, institutions, and businesses," says Rūta Pirta.
Helping Organizations Improve Cybersecurity Depending on the selected course and training format, the training will last up to two months, after which specialists will practice the knowledge they have gained for two months in companies and local governments in the Latvian regions.
With the acquired knowledge, specialists will be able to provide services that align with the recently approved National Cybersecurity Law requirements, including:
- Digital asset inventory and classification;
- Cybersecurity risk assessment;
- Business impact assessment;
- Cybersecurity awareness training for employees and management;
- Development and piloting of the incident management process;
- Implementation of incident management tools;
- Development and piloting of the digital forensics process;
- Implementation of digital forensics management tools.
“By training cybersecurity specialists, we aim to provide very practical and useful knowledge to strengthen the cybersecurity of state and local government institutions, as well as small and medium-sized businesses in Latvia. An increasing portion of services and businesses are conducted in the virtual space, so its protection is especially important.
Cybercriminals are always active, and according to Cert.lv data, the last quarter of the previous year saw the historically highest level of cyber threats in Latvia. Therefore, both European Union and Latvian institutions are continually improving cybersecurity regulations by setting new requirements and responsibilities for organizations,” says cybersecurity expert, project idea author, and advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation, Ieva Ilvesa.
