Digital systems are becoming increasingly prevalent making a qualified cybersecurity workforce and a foundational "cybersecurity culture" essential in all professional fields. Traditional higher education finds it challenging to adapt curricula rapidly to the practical demands of the cybersecurity field, especially for non-specialist students and not only. This program addresses the gap by providing foundational, hands-on cybersecurity education to students from diverse fields of study, building upon existing knowledge about the necessity for cross-disciplinary cybersecurity competence.

The main goal of the current work is to build the “bridge” between theoretical knowledge and practical skills required by the current cybersecurity practices based on a hybrid approach. The initiative aims to train mixed-discipline students in vital cybersecurity activities, developing a broad cybersecurity culture and preparing them for roles focused on delivering security solutions. The project also seeks to prove the effectiveness of an interactive, practical training platform for this mixed student body.

The anticipated outcome is the successful development of content and training of students in practical cybersecurity solution delivery, in alignment with Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) principles. It is expected for participants to achieve a measurable increase understanding, knowledge and application of concepts like SIEM and Ethical Hacking, stepping from theoretical background to practical deployment and auditing of security solutions. Additionally, the project anticipates the design of a scalable, validated model for cross-disciplinary cybersecurity education that can be replicated in other institutions and fields of study, fostering a campus-wide cybersecurity culture. By the end of the training program, students are invited to offer cybersecurity services to local community organizations (LCOs).