Ausind and Leonardo together for the cyber security of Ligurian SMEs

Genoa  07 November 2022 09:11

Ausind, a service company that is a sole member of Confindustria Genova, and Leonardo, global high-tech company among the world's leaders in Aerospace, Defence and Security, join forces to promote the culture of security in the Ligurian ecosystem. The two companies have signed a three-year agreement to offer Small and Medium Enterprises specialised courses to train the skills needed to recognise cyber threats, understand them, and deal with them.

In particular, Ausind will promote training services based on the experience and technological infrastructure of the Cyber & Security Academy of Leonardo, a leading company in cyber protection with 115,000 security events monitored per second and over 1,800 cyber alarms handled per day, to SMEs associated with Confindustria Genova.

Digital twin, virtualisation and cooperation are the technological pillars of the training offer of Leonardo's Cyber & Security Academy, based in Genoa, which allows users to experience and learn how to manage the most advanced hybrid threats in simulated operational scenarios in which to put the acquired knowledge into practice, in groups or individually. The courses will be aimed at both security specialists and the less experienced, to increase the security culture of SMEs and the resilience of the entire economic and social ecosystem.

Cyber attacks are indeed a serious risk for companies of all sizes, but they are particularly insidious for SMEs, which are less equipped than large ones to deal with threats and are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of crises. Moreover, SMEs are often used by cyber criminals to get at large companies and institutions through supply chain attacks. 

"Increasing the level of risk awareness in SMEs is strategic for securing the entire Country System and, with 85% of cyber breaches determined by human error, training assumes a central role," said Stefano Bordi, Director of Leonardo's Cyber & Security Academy. "The agreement with Ausind allows Leonardo to extend its training offer to the world of SMEs, in line with the company's commitment to promoting a culture of security and the consolidation of key skills for the safe technological development and strategic digital autonomy of Italy and Europe". 

"With the growth in the level of digitalisation, the risk of cyber attacks has increased for all companies," observes Paolo Marsano, President of Ausind, "but for those that are less equipped to deal with it, the consequences can be particularly severe. Through the agreement with Leonardo's Cyber & Security Academy, the more than 800 SMEs associated with Confindustria Genova will have the opportunity to access training courses aimed at strengthening their ability to prevent and, if necessary, manage a cyber attack, securing their business and that of the supply chain in which they operate".