120 students from all over Italy
Tomorrow, Tuesday 13 January, marks the start of the second Cybersecurity Seminar, the training course promoted by the University of Milan and the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, with funding from Google.org and in collaboration with Virtual Routes.
The programme, dedicated to training new cybersecurity professionals, involves 120 students from all over Italy and, once again, this edition promises to be a highly multidisciplinary experience. Over 60% of those enrolled come from the legal field, alongside students of political and social sciences, engineering and computer science, economics and communication, reflecting the growing integration of technical, regulatory and organisational skills in the field of cybersecurity.
From a geographical point of view, the class is evenly distributed: half of the students come from Northern Italy, while the rest are evenly divided between Central and Southern Italy, reinforcing the national character of the project.
An integrated course combining classroom learning, hackathons and practical experience in the field
As in the first seminar, the training course is divided into several complementary phases:
- 50 hours of lessons at the University of Milan, from January to February, available in synchronous or asynchronous mode;
- 45 hours dedicated to hackathons and independent study, to consolidate the skills acquired;
- 40 hours of practical activities from March to June at Local Community Organisations (LCOs), including schools, universities, small and medium-sized enterprises, third sector organisations and associations.
The aim is to offer advanced training that combines regulatory and operational aspects, responding to the growing demand for skills in the field of data protection and digital security, in a context marked by increasing cyber risks and the complexity of information systems. Each Cybersecurity Seminar builds a bridge between universities, the world of work and local areas, training professionals to tackle current and future cybersecurity challenges with an interdisciplinary and practical approach.
Why training new cybersecurity professionals is a priority
Cybersecurity is no longer just a technological issue, but a strategic challenge for the country. According to data from the Cybersecurity & Data Protection Observatory of the Politecnico di Milano, corporate investment in digital security is growing at double-digit rates and exceeds €6 billion in the banking sector alone, even in the face of an exponential increase in cyber attacks and cases of identity theft. In 2024, for example, there was a 125% increase in current accounts opened through identity theft. But it is not enough to simply add new technologies to the infrastructure: skills are needed. Companies are finding it increasingly difficult to find suitably trained profiles, especially those capable of integrating technical, legal and organisational knowledge. Unioncamere data indicates that information engineers, data analysts and IT specialists are among the most difficult professions to find, while the labour market continues to report strong unmet demand. This is the context for the Cybersecurity Seminars project, with a multidisciplinary approach that responds to a concrete need: to train professionals who understand not only how systems work, but also what rules, responsibilities and social impacts accompany data management and digital security.
