Ten enthusiastic students from the Technical University of Moldova (eight from the Faculty of Computers, Informatics, and Microelectronics, and two from the Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications), along with their professor, Dr. Andrian PRISĂCARU, representative of the “Cybercor” National Institute for Innovations in Cybersecurity, successfully completed their educational adventure at the “Cybersecurity” Summer School in Tallinn, Estonia. Held from July 7 to July 20, 2024, this experience offered participants remarkable impressions and valuable knowledge from internationally renowned professionals in the field.
The Summer School program was intensive and interactive, encompassing a variety of activities and courses designed to give students a profound understanding of cybersecurity. Highlights included visiting the Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) IT Faculty campus, exploring Tallinn’s Old Town, and touring the KGB Museum. An exceptional lecture by Dr. Rain OTTIS, Director of the Digital Forensics and Cyber Security Center at TalTech, provided participants with deep insights into the global challenges and solutions in cybersecurity.
The UTM students had the fortunate opportunity to delve into cybersecurity during a captivating course led by Dr. Adrian VENABLES, a true visionary in the field. Under his guidance, they learned how to transform raw data into valuable information and use this knowledge to build impenetrable cyber fortresses. Additionally, they discussed the crucial role of international relations in achieving high levels of cybersecurity globally. Examples such as Estonia’s experience in avoiding cyberattacks from the Russian Federation and the current situations in Ukraine and Moldova underlined the importance of international cooperation in this field. Thus, students explored not only technical aspects but also the geopolitical dimensions of cybersecurity, consolidating their knowledge in a holistic and applied manner.
Activities continued with practical exercises and the discovery of open-source solutions under the guidance of Professor Sten MÄSES, a true architect of cybersecurity. With an innovative approach, Professor MÄSES led students through the complexities of cutting-edge technologies and open-source solutions, emphasizing creativity and critical thinking. The program included a brainstorming exercise to demonstrate the necessity of creativity in cybersecurity, followed by the creation of a practical application where students developed a plan for a startup with a budget of $1 million. Later, students learned about open-source Security Operations Center (SOC) solutions, such as ElasticStack and Suricata. They were introduced to data preprocessing, indexing, and visualization stages, along with practical recommendations for using these technologies.
Further activities included discussions on incident response according to NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) standards, highlighting the essential steps of the process, from identification and analysis to containment, eradication, and recovery. Sille ARIKAS shared her vast experience gained at CERT-EE, underscoring the value of a well-structured plan and a prepared team to handle cyber incidents. Additionally, practical exercises in Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Threat Intelligence were essential for identifying and assessing cyber threats. The use of top tools like Shodan, the search engine for internet-connected devices, Cuckoo, the malware analysis sandbox, Phishtank, the collaborative database for reporting phishing attempts, and Open Threat Exchange (OTX), the platform for sharing information about cyber threats, provided students with a practical and applied perspective on modern cyber defense methods.
Through these activities, Professor Sten MÄSES succeeded in transforming the complexities of cybersecurity into a series of captivating and interactive lessons that prepared students for real-world challenges in the field.
With the knowledge and experiences gained, UTM students shared their impressions and conclusions about the profound impact of the “Cybersecurity” Summer School on their professional and personal development.
Dr. Andrian PRISĂCARU emphasized the importance of collaboration between UTM, TalTech, and Cybercor: “The summer school held in Estonia provided an unforgettable experience for FET and FCIM students. I had the opportunity to discuss with TalTech professors about the specific curricular support for cybersecurity, which will be studied at UTM within the two faculties – FET and FCIM.”
Maria ȚURCAN, a student at FET-UTM, described her participation in the Tallinn Summer School as an extraordinary experience: “We had sessions dedicated to topics such as ‘hacker mindset,’ ‘cybersecurity,’ and ‘international relations and cybersecurity,’ where I had the chance to learn from experts in the field and better understand how hackers think.”
Daniel MIRON, a student at FCIM-UTM, was impressed by the visit to Clarified Security’s office: “We participated in an incident response simulation and experienced how a cyberattack on a company would be managed.”
Liviu MEREACRE, an FCIM student, concluded that this experience confirmed his choice to study cybersecurity at UTM: “Thanks to the experienced professionals who instructed us, I was able to better understand the challenges and strategies used in cybersecurity testing.”
The “Cybersecurity” Summer School in Tallinn was a valuable opportunity for UTM students to enhance their knowledge and skills in cybersecurity. Participation in this program was essential for their professional and personal development, offering them the chance to learn from internationally renowned experts and better understand the challenges and solutions in this vital field. This experience underscores the importance of international collaborations and continuous education in ensuring global cybersecurity.
