Cyber security is becoming one of the key elements of state security, the economy and critical infrastructure. It is no longer just about reacting to incidents, but about systematically building competence, resilience and the ability to operate in cyberspace. Colonel Michał Majewski, deputy director of the Expert Center for Cyber Security Training, explains how practical training of experts in this field looks.
The Expert Center for Cyber Security Training (ECSC) is a military unit reporting directly to the Minister of National Defense. It was established in November 2020 as a response to the growing training needs of the Polish Armed Forces in the areas of cyber security, IT and cryptology. As Colonel Majewski emphasizes, the center’s mission is to build the army’s expert capital and prepare specialists capable of operating in an environment where digital threats are increasingly complex and closely tied to state security.
The center focuses on practice. Training is not conducted as academic lectures, but as technical laboratory classes using specific technologies and tools used in the defense ministry. ECSC has 18 fully equipped computer laboratories and a cyber range – a virtual platform that allows mapping fragments of cyberspace. It can simulate environments composed of many systems, servers, network devices and various operating systems.
Cyber range as a training ground for real threats
The cyber range allows soldiers and IT specialists to practice defensive and offensive operations in a safe but realistic environment. Scenarios include simulated attacks on critical infrastructure, such as energy grids or telecommunications networks. – We can create a virtual copy of a company’s network or a military command post, then conduct a simulated attack and see how the defenders react – explained Colonel Majewski. The goal is to improve response times, coordination and decision-making under pressure.
One of the center’s flagship projects is the CyberExpert Game. These are cyber security workshops organized as a competition, primarily addressed to entities outside the military, including operators of critical infrastructure. Representatives from the fuel, energy, telecommunications, banking and finance sectors participate. Teams defend a fragment of cyberspace assigned to them against attacks conducted by a so-called red team, and the winner is the one who maintains the operation of as many services as possible for the longest time.
Building a national cyber shield through cooperation
The CyberExpert Game is not only a competition but also a platform for sharing knowledge and building trust between the military and the private sector. – The foundation of cyber security is not just knowledge and vigilance. Equally important is the ability to act: appropriate structures, tools and procedures. It is these that determine the effectiveness of the state and its institutions in cyberspace – stressed Colonel Majewski. ECSC also runs projects aimed at young talents, including Akademia_CYBER.MIL for technical university students, and organizes the CyberExpert conference, which brings together the military, academia and industry.
With the growing number of cyber threats, the role of such training centers is becoming crucial. Poland’s approach, combining military capabilities with civilian expertise and practical exercises on a cyber range, is seen as a model for other countries in the region. The ECSC is preparing the next generation of cyber defenders, ensuring that the state’s digital backbone remains resilient against ever-evolving attacks.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. WNP.PL
