Guardians of the Digital Realm: Leonardo’s Cybersecurity Academy Unleashed

 Situated in Genoa, with the capacity to deliver courses both in Italy and internationally, Leonardo’s Cyber & Security Academy aims to foster secure digitalization and nurture a security culture. Digital twins, virtualization, and collaboration are the technological cornerstones of an engaging training program, capable of simulating thousands of nodes and numerous networks.

Cyber dangers are among the most pressing threats to a nation’s safety. In 2021, more than two thousand significant attacks were documented globally, incurring a staggering total cost of six trillion dollars. Italy ranks third in the world for ransomware incidents.

With over 100,000 users safeguarded by cyber measures, Leonardo observes roughly 115,000 security incidents every second while managing more than 1,800 cyber alarms each day.

Complete details on Leonardo’s Cyber & Security Academy can be found at the following link: https://cyberacademy.leonardo.com/en/home

Genoa, 04/04/2022 – Leonardo unveils its Cyber & Security Academy, a cutting-edge training center created by the organization to equip Defense, public bodies, critical infrastructure, and enterprises with the skills and expertise essential for facilitating digital transformation and confronting national security risks.

The Cyber & Security Academy, located in Genoa, will provide courses and workshops in Italy and worldwide via various local institutions. The objective of this educational initiative is to position cyber security as a fundamental concern for all organizations.

The proprietary platforms Cyber Range and Cyber Trainer lie at the heart of the Academy. Developed around gamification principles (employing game-like mechanisms, with the assignment of objectives and rewards for accomplishments), they harness both virtualization and interoperability to imitate immersive operational scenarios. By utilizing “digital twins” of networks, systems, and applications that require protection, as well as threats and offensive and defensive tools, individual participants and teams will be equipped to apply their acquired skills to safeguard infrastructure. Leonardo’s platforms can support exercises that simulate digital twins of thousands of nodes and numerous networks, enabling up to five intricate scenarios concurrently, with multiple teams and dozens of participants per team.

The Cyber & Security Academy leverages Leonardo’s extensive experience in both physical and cyber protection of critical infrastructures across over 150 nations worldwide, alongside information assets developed through daily engagement with exceptionally sophisticated threats in the most crucial and strategic sectors: Aerospace, Defense, and Security. With over 100,000 users shielded by cyber protections, Leonardo monitors around 115,000 security occurrences per second while managing more than 1,800 cyber alarms on a daily basis.

The faculty will consist of specialists in key security sectors, utilizing the proficiency of Leonardo’s seasoned professionals, as well as partnerships with academic institutions, centers of excellence, governmental bodies, and private enterprises.

As a center of excellence in Europe, the Cyber & Security Academy also presents an opportunity for the local area and the Italian educational ecosystem, supporting Leonardo’s Lab and HPC davinci-1 within the industrial digitization hub established by Leonardo in Genoa. It positions itself as an aggregator and federator of various entities, content, and experiences, aimed at fostering synergy and enhancement through Leonardo’s expertise and technological resources.

The Cyber & Security Academy is directed towards all stakeholders involved in national defense. Security is increasingly challenged by cyber threats: a recent report by CLUSIT (the Italian Association for Information Security) noted 2,049 major cyberattacks globally in 2021, nearly 10% more than in 2020, and cybercrime has incurred costs amounting to $6 trillion. Through its cyber threat intelligence efforts, Leonardo identified significant cyber threats in 2021 linked to eCrime for financial gain, alongside an upsurge in cyber intrusions impacting governmental, defense, aerospace, health sectors, as well as energy and telecommunications, not to mention the industrial sector. The objectives vary widely: from the extraction and exfiltration of sensitive data to sabotage and the impairment of strategic infrastructures and governmental defense capabilities.

In this scenario, cybersecurity and intelligence activities are paramount, with Leonardo employing over 160 expert analysts and platforms capable of 500 trillion operations per second dedicated to monitoring, identifying, and analyzing cyber threats, thereby supporting decisions aimed at minimizing attack impacts. Continuous vigilance and effective management and resolution of incidents through Security Operation Center services are equally critical: Leonardo’s Global SOC in Chieti (Italy) analyzes over 4.7 million indicators of compromise annually, representing digital traces of cyber incidents.

To safeguard digital ecosystems and strategic infrastructures, procedures and technologies alone are insufficient: 85% of cyber breaches stem from human error. According to projections by the Italian National Cybersecurity Agency, Italy currently requires at least 100,000 additional IT security professionals, while the World Economic Forum (The Global Risks Report 2022) cites a global shortage of 3 million security experts. The World Economic Forum (Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2022) also indicates that 59% of global cybersecurity leaders would struggle to respond effectively to a cybersecurity incident due to a lack of skills within their teams.

Leonardo’s Cyber & Security Academy addresses these challenges: fostering a security culture and equipping individuals with the expertise to recognize and manage physical and cyber threats.