Poland’s military is intensively training its cyber specialists at the Expert Center for Cybersecurity Training (ECSC), a unit directly subordinate to the Minister of National Defense. The center, established in November 2020, focuses on practical, laboratory-based exercises rather than theoretical lectures, using a dedicated cyber polygon and 18 fully equipped computer labs.
The ECSC’s mission is to build the expert capital of the armed forces, preparing specialists capable of operating in an environment where digital threats are increasingly complex and closely tied to national security. Colonel Michał Majewski, deputy director of the center, emphasized that training is conducted with technologies and tools actually used by the defense ministry, not in an academic lecture format.
The center’s cyber polygon is a virtual platform that simulates fragments of cyberspace, allowing trainees to practice defending systems composed of multiple servers, network devices, and operating systems. This hands-on approach is designed to ensure that soldiers and experts can respond effectively to real-world attacks.
Practical training in 18 laboratories
The ECSC operates 18 fully equipped computer laboratories where technical classes are held. These are not standard classrooms but environments that mirror the actual IT infrastructure of the Polish military. Trainees learn to detect, analyze, and counter cyber threats in scenarios that closely resemble operational conditions.
– The center’s goal is to provide soldiers with the practical skills they need to protect state networks and critical infrastructure – said Colonel Michał Majewski. – We do not rely on theory alone; every exercise is built around real tools and procedures used in the defense sector.
CyberExpert Game and cooperation with critical infrastructure
One of the flagship projects is CyberExpert Game, a cybersecurity workshop organized as a competition. It is aimed primarily at entities outside the military, including operators of critical infrastructure such as energy, fuel, telecommunications, banking, and finance companies. Teams defend a designated segment of cyberspace against attacks conducted by a red team, and the winner is the one that maintains the longest operation of the largest number of services.
The ECSC also runs programs for young talents, such as Akademia_CYBER.MIL for technical university students, and organizes the CyberExpert conference, which brings together the military, academia, and industry. Colonel Majewski noted that the foundation of cybersecurity is not only knowledge and vigilance but also the ability to act – supported by appropriate structures, tools, and procedures.
– The effectiveness of the state in cyberspace depends on having the right capabilities in place, not just awareness – he added.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. WNP.PL
