Learning to Stay Safe in the Digital Age

At just 32 years old, Professor Víctor Alejandro Roque Domínguez from the University of Informatics Sciences (UCI) leads a project focused on cybersecurity education. During the World Youth Summit of the International Telecommunication Union, he shared his insights:

What do we mean when we talk about cybersecurity?

"Cybersecurity, according to the regulatory framework, is a state achieved by addressing different dimensions beyond just technical security. It involves everything related to the digital transformation process and, most importantly, the role of personnel in ensuring security. This means deploying human and technical resources, software, and technology to protect the most critical asset in cyberspace: information."

What is the project you are presenting about?

"At the event, we shared our training system for cybersecurity. Like all academic programs in Cuba, our approach is comprehensive, ensuring that professionals are not isolated from social contexts but instead influence their communities.

"We begin with academic training, covering all the technical skills—hard skills—that a cybersecurity professional needs, from undergraduate to postgraduate levels.

"We offer two undergraduate options: a short-cycle higher education program in Network Administration and IT Security, which lasts two years, and a Cybersecurity Engineering program, which had its first graduating class in December 2024. We train security specialists for technical implementations as well as engineers who focus on higher-level abstraction, designing strategies and cybersecurity systems. This is complemented by postgraduate studies in IT security, an advanced informatics master’s program with a cybersecurity research track, and a doctoral program."

Can graduates from related fields like informatics and cybernetics access these specializations?

"Yes, of course. There is compatibility between these profiles, so students can specialize in a technology-related topic, whether in IT or OT."

OT...?

"Yes, we expand our scope to Operational Technologies (OT). We often talk about Information Technology (IT) but tend to overlook OT, which is crucial since most critical infrastructures fall under OT and are linked to industries. These infrastructures cannot simply be shut down and restarted like an IT server, so they require different cybersecurity measures, high availability, and specific protocols. Similarly, OT systems can suffer complex cybersecurity attacks, such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks using Internet of Things (IoT) devices."

What is the other component of this training initiative?

"All these skills are complemented, at the undergraduate level, by Cuba’s higher education system’s integral formation: developing professionals who are engaged with society, actively transforming their communities, and participating in local development projects. Cybersecurity education is not just about technology; it also involves extension projects and research with practical outreach. The goal is to foster a cybersecurity culture in socially diverse environments.

"That means engaging with society, working in neighborhoods and localities where people have varying levels of technological literacy. We must adapt the way we communicate cybersecurity issues, ensuring that training matches each community’s level of digital understanding. We aim to orchestrate this effort through strategic alliances with local governments, empowering local leaders to guide this work.

"Thus, undergraduate students in Cybersecurity Engineering and short-cycle programs will take the lead in this educational process—communicating, designing, and sharing materials on cybersecurity."

Have you had any practical experience with this approach?

"We already have experience working with communities. Our faculty has always engaged in outreach projects, such as ‘Visita de Alegría,’ which focused on orphanages and nursing homes. We’ve also carried out activities in the La Lisa community, where our university is located, mainly promoting the use of technology. Students organized recreational activities and interactive games for different social settings. Now, we want to reorient this strong and systematic community engagement to focus on cybersecurity, which is our faculty’s primary mission."

With digital transformation, cybersecurity is becoming a vital necessity...

"Everyone is at risk, which is why we want to tailor our approach by demographic groups. For example, for children—since many now have significant access to technology. We also want to educate parents on regulating children's technology use and implementing protective measures. This initiative is designed to be adaptable to the specific context where it is implemented.

"We work with the concept of digital resilience focused on cybersecurity. Various elements are being implemented, such as content repositories, platforms, and game-based learning (gamification). The key aspect is that students take an active role in training others, creating materials, and determining the best ways to reach different sectors of the population. This approach integrates them into their profession, specializing them in technical cybersecurity tasks while also fostering a strong sense of social responsibility."

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff