NERO Training Series Empowers European SMEs with Cutting-Edge Cybersecurity Skills
4, March, 2026
Reading about a cyber threat is one thing—responding to it in real time is a completely different skillset.
The NERO Hands-On Cybersecurity Training Series gave participants the space to experiment, make mistakes, learn quickly, and walk away with sharper instincts, better tools, and a clearer understanding of their role in keeping systems safe.
From 26 November 2025 to 19 January 2026, the NERO Cybersecurity Project delivered its highly anticipated Hands-On Cybersecurity Training Series, equipping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Europe with practical knowledge and tools to strengthen their digital defences.
A Dynamic Training Webinar Series
The three-part online series invited SMEs to engage in practical, hands-on cybersecurity training, blending expert insights, real-world exercises, and interactive discussions. Participants gained immediately applicable skills to protect their organisations against evolving cyber threats. Completion of pre- and post-training questionnaires was required to receive a certificate and also helped evaluate learning outcomes.
Webinar 1: Foundations of Cybersecurity Awareness
The series opened on 26 November 2025 with “Building Cybersecurity Awareness and Defence Foundations for SMEs”, introducing core cybersecurity concepts and practices across three modules. Charalambos Klitis from eBOS Technologies presented the fundamentals of cybersecurity, including the CIA triad (confidentiality, integrity, availability), defence-in-depth strategies, human factors, and EU regulations such as GDPR and the NIS2 Directive. Participants learned the importance of awareness, strong authentication practices, and strategic selection of cybersecurity tools. Davide Ariu of Pluribus One explained incident response fundamentals, covering preparation, detection, containment, and post-incident review, while highlighting automated threats, supply chain attacks, and AI-driven risks. Dimitris Koutras from the University of Piraeus (UPRC) concluded the session by focusing on social engineering, demonstrating phishing, vishing, smishing, and pretexting tactics, and conducting hands-on exercises using the NERO platform. The session emphasised that awareness and training are the most effective defences against attacks exploiting human psychology.
Webinar 2: Advanced Threat Detection and Privacy Protection
The second session, held on 3 December 2025, “Advanced Threat Detection and Privacy Protection for SMEs”, delved deeper into technical defences. Wissam Mallouli from Montimage guided participants through network security fundamentals and penetration testing, demonstrating SME-friendly strategies for monitoring, segmentation, and vulnerability testing. Eleni Seralidou of Trustilio presented the software security with Snyk, showing how SMEs can prioritise and remediate exploitable software vulnerabilities, secure containers, and mitigate privacy risks even with limited resources. Dimitris Asimopoulos from Metamind Innovations presented on Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS), exploring how AI-enhanced monitoring can provide early detection of network threats, the advantages and limitations of signature-based and anomaly-based systems, and best practices for strategic deployment.
Webinar 3: Immersive and Gamified Cybersecurity Practices
The final session held on 19 January 2026, “Immersive and Gamified Cybersecurity Practices for SMEs”, focused on experiential learning. Wissam Mallouli demonstrated Montimage’s cyber range platform, allowing participants to detect phishing attacks in a safe, simulated environment. Ole Höfener of Massive Dynamic Sweden showcased the KIOKU platform, in which participants navigated interactive, scenario-based simulations to improve decision-making and incident-handling skills. Kostas Poulios from SPHYNX presented the use of CACAO playbooks and the Sphynx platform to automate structured incident response workflows while maintaining human oversight, bridging the gap between documentation and operational execution.
Watch the recordings and explore the presentation materials to deepen your understanding and reinforce your cybersecurity strategy.
TRAINING SESSION 1 TRAINING SESSION 2 TRAINING SESSION 3
Empowering SMEs with Practical Cybersecurity Skills
Across all three webinars, participants gained actionable expertise in network defence, software security, incident response, phishing mitigation, and gamified cybersecurity exercises. The series highlighted the growing importance of human-centred awareness, the effectiveness of practical, hands-on learning, and the role of automation, AI, and scenario-based simulations in strengthening SME resilience. It also offered practical guidance on adopting cost-effective, scalable cybersecurity solutions, including tools featured in the NERO Marketplace.
The training attracted nearly 200 registrants worldwide, representing 20 EU and 7 non-EU countries—demonstrating strong international demand for practical cybersecurity capacity building. The audience reflected notable diversity, with a near-equal gender distribution among participants.
With satisfaction ratings exceeding 80% for each session, the programme delivered a measurable impact. Pre- and post-training questionnaires were used to evaluate feedback and behavioural changes, with selected pre-training questions integrated into the registration process to streamline participation while maintaining robust assessment standards.
The NERO Training Series not only strengthened SMEs’ defences but also reinforced Europe’s broader goal of a cyber-resilient small business ecosystem. Aligned with the European Cybersecurity Skills Framework (ECSF), it fostered shared understanding of cybersecurity roles, promoted collaboration, and combined expert insights with hands-on exercises to equip SMEs with practical strategies against evolving cyber threats.
For SMEs seeking to continue their cybersecurity journey, the full post-event report and training materials—including recordings, slides, and tool demonstrations—are now available for download.