Cybersecurity in technical vocational education – because attackers don’t wait for a diploma

Cyber threats have become part of the everyday risk landscape for organizations: phishing attacks, ransomware, and supply chain incidents are increasingly disrupting operations. However, one of the biggest barriers to effective defense is not primarily technological, but human: there is a shortage of professionals with cybersecurity skills, and in many IT fields, a security mindset has not yet been sufficiently embedded.

CyberHubs is building a network of cybersecurity skills centers with the participation of seven countries to develop a common competency language and transferable solutions, while aligning training offerings with labor market needs. The goal is to identify skill gaps, share best practices, and support interventions that can deliver measurable results in workforce development within a short time.

The CyberHub Hungary is operated by IVSZ and the Ludovika University of Public Service. As a member of the Infocommunications Sector Skills Council (ÁKT), IVSZ plays an initiating role in ensuring that cybersecurity appears more prominently and in a practice-oriented way in technical vocational education. The role of the ÁKT is particularly important in this regard, as it provides a platform where industry stakeholders can formulate proposals for the development of vocational training content, allowing education to better reflect real business needs.

Technical vocational schools represent one of the largest capacity channels for digital workforce supply: in a relatively short time, many young professionals with practical knowledge can enter the labor market. Under the leadership of IVSZ, the CyberHub Hungary aims to consistently integrate cybersecurity aspects into technical training. As a result, graduates can start in any IT role with greater confidence and security awareness, and can more easily move toward cybersecurity career paths.

The skills and knowledge acquired in technical education can cover a wide spectrum, starting from everyday cyber hygiene and awareness (such as maintaining passwords and multi-factor authentication, and regularly applying security updates), continuing with practicing incident response, learning secure configurations, and logging and analyzing events. All of this is framed within a comprehensive security mindset, enriched by practical experience through real industry tasks, mentoring, guest lectures, and programmes that help students reach junior entry-level positions.

The goal of IVSZ is to transform the experiences gathered within the CyberHub Hungary and domestic business needs into tangible proposals through the ÁKT. The initiative can be strengthened through broad professional collaboration; this is how cybersecurity can become a natural part of Hungary’s digital competencies.