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Ukraine Unveils CISO Campus — Training Cyber Leaders for the Public Sector

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CISO Campus

Ukraine has launched CISO Campus — a national platform to train Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and cybersecurity leaders across the public sector. The initiative is a joint effort of the CDTO Campus cybersecurity faculty and the State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine.

In 2025, the CISO role became mandatory across all government institutions — a new position responsible for ensuring the protection of digital infrastructure and citizen data. CISO Campus was created to support this structural change and unify national cybersecurity leadership standards.

The platform targets:

  • current CISOs and cyber leaders;
  • incident response managers;
  • CSIRT, CERT and SOC specialists;
  • professionals aiming to move into senior cybersecurity roles.

The training combines management, analytics, and technical content, including real-life simulations, attack response drills, and crisis scenario modelling. With support from regional cybersecurity centres, the training will be rolled out nationwide. In its first year, the platform plans to train around 900 professionals.

Ukraine is transitioning toward a cyber resilience model: one that not only defends against threats but also prioritises rapid detection and system recovery. This strategic shift is reflected in the new Law № 4336-IX, which defines the CISO mandate in public institutions.

Despite a growing number of graduates in cybersecurity, the labour market faces a significant talent gap. With over a thousand critical infrastructure facilities and increasing digitalisation in municipalities, Ukraine needs thousands of trained experts.

CISO Campus builds on the foundations of the earlier CDTO Campus cybersecurity faculty. The emergence of a formal CISO role elevated expectations — requiring more rigorous training for leaders managing digital threats in rapidly evolving environments.

The program is implemented by East Europe Foundation in partnership with international donors and is led by Ieva Ilves, a digital policy expert and former adviser to the President of Latvia.

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