“Cybersecurity is an everyday thing and that is why we work on our scams, well.. everyday!”

13.12.2024

Cybersecurity challenges are the same everywhere. The goal of the Cyber Citizen project is to develop solutions that improve everyday life and share practical tools for more secure online practices across the European Union. 

“Cybersecurity experts often work in silos, focusing on narrow areas of expertise. However, for everyday people, cybersecurity is a broad concept. Addressing this everyday perspective is at the heart of our project,” explains Marianne Lindroth, the project manager of the Cyber Citizen. 

Lindroth has led the project since its former head, Jarno Limnéll, was elected to the Finnish Parliament. She has more than ten years of experience in cybersecurity in both the public and private sectors. 

The Cyber Citizen project began with research into how people across the EU protect themselves online. Based on the findings, the project has developed: 

• Cyber City Tycoon – a cybersecurity mobile game that presents the topic in an engaging and fun way. 

• SecPort – a learning portal offering a range of cybersecurity resources. 

• A learning model designed to accommodate different learning styles – some people prefer visual and auditory content, while others learn best through text or interactive tasks. 

The results of the project support the broader cybersecurity strategies of the EU. The portal and its courses help organisations meet upcoming cybersecurity compliance requirements. 

“Our goal is to provide tools that enable as many people as possible to improve their cybersecurity resilience. When thousands of small improvements come together, the overall impact is significant,” Lindroth emphasises. 

One of the key success factors of the project has been collaboration with various partners. 

“We can’t reach everyone in the EU on our own. That’s why we’ve been actively seeking partnerships, and it’s become clear that everyday people are an underutilised resource in cybersecurity.” 

These partnerships didn’t happen overnight. Over the past three years, Lindroth has spent more than a hundred days travelling to build and maintain these relationships. 

While the Cyber Citizen project has achieved a great deal, the work is far from over. 

“The work will continue next year. Cybersecurity is an ongoing process that requires continuous learning and development.” 

Get to know us at cyber-citizen.eu/en and network with us in LinkedIn as @Cyber Citizen.

Janne Riiheläinen, Cybersecurity Specialist

“Cybersecurity requires constant learning and development and the same applies to us scammers”

“Cybersecurity requires constant learning and development and the same applies to us scammers”