What's up

Inaugurated on April 16th in Charleroi, the Cyber Defense Factory, the first official implantation of the Cyber Command in a civilian environment, will develop innovative projects in all areas of cyber, in collaboration with academic, industrial, and research partners.

An important milestone has been reached for the Cyber Command at A6K, an ecosystem bringing together various actors such as startups, industries, universities, and research and training centers. Indeed, for the first time, a military intelligence service has officially established its headquarters in the city.

Inaugurated by Ludivine Dedonder, Minister of Defense, accompanied by Thomas Dermine, State Secretary for Recovery and Strategic Investments in charge of Scientific Policy, this innovative initiative is part of the "Quarter of the Future" project in Charleroi. "It is about placing Defense at the heart of urban life, in a stimulating and easily accessible environment thanks to public transport," emphasizes the minister.

Innovative Projects and New Talents

Major General Van Strythem, commander of the Cyber Command, also highlights the strategic importance of this implantation within the regional cyber ecosystem.

Cybersecurity in the Spotlight

After the traditional ribbon cutting, performed by the minister and the director of A6K, the inauguration was followed by a cybersecurity competition, named Capture the Red Flag, organized by the (Walloon) Digital Agency for students from various training centers in the region. This competition highlights the ongoing commitment to promoting cybersecurity skills, a central concern in a constantly evolving digital world.

Cyberattack

The first concrete project of the Cyber Defense Factory is the result of a partnership between Defense (including the intelligence services of the SGRS), the CPAS of the City of Charleroi, the BeCode coding school, and the NRB computer group. The cyberattack suffered by the CPAS of Charleroi last August will be the starting point. In charge of analyzing this attack, NRB will share with trained individuals the data and reports related to this hacking.

What are the education needs in cybersecurity for the future? This was also the subject of intense debates during this rich inaugural morning, among speakers including those from Belspo (Federal Public Service for Scientific Policy Programming), UCLouvain, Forem, and Technofutur TIC. With a common point: all emphasized the importance of training and education to meet future challenges in the field of cybersecurity.