ESDC course on “Cyber Range – cybersecurity in practice”, Varna, Bulgaria

Under the auspices of the European Security and Defence College, the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academyn(NVNA) of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence successfully organised the course “Cyber Range – Cybersecurity in Practice.”

The course brought together participants from several EU Member States. Professionals involved in technical cybersecurity gathered in Varna from 24 to 26 September 2025 to take part in the ESDC’s fully residential cyber course, hosted by the NVNA’s Laboratory of the Faculty of Navigation.

The primary objective of the course was to enhance participants’ knowledge and practical skills in improving the security of the IT infrastructure under their responsibility. Through the execution of prepared scenarios involving virtual machines and networks, participants explored areas such as reconnaissance, exploitation, Wi-Fi hacking, and web penetration testing. These exercises enabled them to identify potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses that could lead to unauthorised access to target resources.
 

The course was inaugurated by Captain (N) Prof. Nedko Dimitrov, Dean of the Faculty of Navigation, Prof. Yuliyan Tsonev, Course Director, and Mr Jerzy Sypek, ESDC Training Manager at the CYBER ETEE Platform. The opening session also featured a presentation by Ms Krassi Bogdanova, Head of the Cybersecurity Governance Unit at the European Parliament, who provided an overview of the European institutions’ threat landscape with a focus on ensuring a secure cyberspace and protecting elections in the European Union.

On the final day, the agenda was further enriched by a lecture delivered by Mr Yavor Todorov, Deputy Director of the CIS Directorate and Cyberdefence Coordinator at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The ESDC extends its sincere thanks to Course Director Prof. Yuliyan Tsonev, Chief Trainer Mr Dimitar Nikolov, Course Tutor Mr Dimitar Dimitrov, and all participants for their dedication, active engagement, and valuable contributions to the success of this course.