Security has always been at the core of Google’s products, and we’ve long worked to protect people, businesses and governments by sharing our expertise and advancing cybersecurity tools and resources. This work has only become more urgent. Cyber attacks increased globally by 38% last year, and our own research shows that nearly half (43%) of small and medium-sized businesses in Europe have experienced a cyber attack in the past two years.

In a world where threats come from anywhere and anyone, we need a diverse, skilled workforce to be able to match the challenge. But Europe is experiencing a talent shortage of up to 500,000 cybersecurity professionals last year — with only 25% of current cybersecurity jobs held by women.

That’s why today, at the launch of the Google Safety Engineering Center in Màlaga — a new, flagship cybersecurity hub for Europe — we announced a $10 million commitment to increase cybersecurity training across Europe. This will also form Google’s contribution to the EU Cybersecurity Skills Academy, an initiative by the European Commission with the goal of ensuring a more coordinated approach towards closing the cybersecurity talent gap.

Google.org’s European Cybersecurity Seminars program

Google.org, in partnership with the European Cyber Conflict Research Incubator (“ECCRI CIC”), is launching a new European Cybersecurity Seminars program. It will be the first of its kind in Europe, advancing cybersecurity skills development and training and helping local community organizations to build their online protections. The program provides universities with a cybersecurity training program and curriculum, allowing them to offer cybersecurity courses to students from diverse backgrounds and with no prior experience.

To mark the launch of the program, Google.org will provide eight universities in eight different European countries with up to $1 million in funding, course content and extensive training from the ECCRI CIC to help them bring the Cybersecurity Seminars to life. Universities are already able to apply.