CyberSea Festival returns with atypical beachside model for hands-on cyber training
The second edition of CyberSea Festival was launched on Monday, bringing together government officials, private-sector leaders and front-line cybersecurity specialists to kick off a project aiming to reshape how Romania trains its next generation of digital-security experts.
'The shortage of cybersecurity personnel is a pressing issue at both national and European level. The solution proposed by the organizers of CyberSea - Women4Cyber Romania, in collaboration with the National Cyber Security Directorate and the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre - is to take technical education out of corporate conference rooms and move it into an environment that meets young people's expectations: a hands-on testing space disguised as a summer festival,' the organizers said in a statement.
Between July 28 and 30, 2026, the cybersecurity ecosystem relocates to Diplomatic Mamaia. Under this year's theme, CyberLANTIS, the festival splits its agenda into two distinct tracks.
During the day, the program is strictly technical: hackathons, live demonstrations and Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions run on isolated, air-gapped servers. Early-career participants work directly on attack-and-defense scenarios alongside experts who secure Romania's critical infrastructure.
After 4 p.m., the technical setting transitions into a full-scale summer festival with concerts and beach activities. The goal, organizers say, is to break down rigid hierarchies: students end up having informal beachside conversations with the same institutional leaders and tech giants for whom they would normally wait months to secure a formal meeting.
'Through the second edition of CyberSea, we continue what we started last year: bringing the next generation of experts to the same table - or in our case, the same beach - with front-line specialists. It's an environment where rigid hierarchies disappear, and practical testing and recruitment happen more naturally and efficiently,' said Fraga Tariuc, president and founder of Women4Cyber Romania.
The strategic importance of this training model is underscored by the unprecedented institutional backing for an event of this kind. CyberSea is organized in partnership with the National Cybersecurity Directorate and the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre, with direct support from the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Cyberint Center, the Special Telecommunications Service, ICI Bucharest and the Maritime University of Constanta.
Major private-sector players, including CEC Bank, Palo Alto Networks, Vodafone and Alpha by ZENDRA, are also endorsing the festival's unconventional model, investing in Romania's future digital-defense workforce. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Nicoleta Gherasi; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)
The content of the www.agerpres.ro website has the exclusive purpose of public informing.
All the information published on this website by AGERPRES is protected by relevant legal dispositions.
It is forbidden to copy, reproduce, recompile, decompile, distribute, publish, display, modify, create derived components or products or full services, as well as any exploitation of the site's content.
Details in the section Terms of Use. If you are interested in picking up AGERPRES news items, please contact the Marketing Department – marketing@agerpres.ro.
The use of the Comments section entails your obligation to respect the AGERPRES terms and conditions in regards to the publishing of comments on the www.agerpres.ro.
Other news in category
Nawrocki: Warsaw, Bucharest, the most important centres of NATO's strategic response on the eastern flank
Poland's President Karol Nawrocki said on Tuesday that Poland and Romania are the most important centres of NATO's strategic response on the eastern flank. At a joint news conference with Romania's President Nicusor Dan, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace in Bucharest, Nawrocki underlined the importance of the B9 format and the Three Seas Initiat
Nicusor Dan: Poland is an important partner for Romania, and bilateral dialogue will continue
Poland is an important partner for Romania and the two states will continue their dialogue, President Nicusor Dan said on Tuesday during a joint press conference with his visiting Polish counterpart, Karol Nawrocki. The two heads of state will co-chair the Bucharest Nine (B9) Summit on Wednesday.
Ombudsperson challenges SAFE-related Emergency Ordinance at Constitutional Court
Ombudsperson Renate Weber has challenged Emergency Ordinance (OUG) 38/2026 before the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR). The ordinance, adopted by the Government led by Ilie Bolojan, also concerns the SAFE military procurement program. OUG 38/2026, amending and supplementing several regulatory acts, was published in the Official Journal on May 8, 2026, thr
Republic of Moldova's Orheiul Vechi Reserve advances efforts for UNESCO World Heritage status
The Orheiul Vechi / Old Orhei Cultural-Natural Reserve will resume efforts to obtain UNESCO World Heritage status, the reserve's director, Ion Ciobanu, told AGERPRES. He recalled that the process had been launched several years ago but was halted after UNESCO experts identified several non-conformities. 'Yes, there was an attempt - in fa
President Dan receives Polish counterpart Nawrocki at Cotroceni Palace
The President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, was received by President Nicusor Dan on Tuesday, at the Cotroceni Palace. The two heads of state will have face-to-face talks, followed by official talks, at the end of which they will hold a press conference. On Tuesday evening, the Romanian head of state will have a working dinner with
Acting Foreign Minister Toiu: Romania among Eastern Flank states with most airspace violations
Acting Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said on Tuesday at the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum in Bucharest that Romania is among the Eastern Flank countries that have recorded the most airspace violations, particularly due to drone incidents. 'Romania is among the Eastern Flank countries that have had the most violations of national airspace. For us, it is
ANAF's Nica: Institution is facing a real challenge: at Schengen borders, it struggles to collect information
The National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) is facing a real challenge with Romania's entry into the Schengen Area, as it struggles to collect information at Schengen borders and is working on a system of cameras and scales, ANAF President Adrian Nica said on Tuesday at the official launch of the International Fiscal Association - IFA Romania.
Oradea Philharmonic to host Werner Schulze's 'Sinfonia breve' world premiere, with composer attending
The Oradea State Philharmonic will present on Thursday the world premiere of the work 'Sinfonia breve - In the Spirit of Joseph Haydn,' composed by Werner Schulze, in the presence of the Austrian composer, during a symphonic concert conducted by Andrej Vesel. According to a philharmonic press release, the work has a strong connection with the composer&
#NadiaYear Nadia Comaneci t be celebrated in her birth city of Onesti on May 29 to 31
The town of Onesti will mark, from May 29 to 31, the 50th anniversary of the historic moment at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, when Nadia Comaneci achieved the first perfect 10 in gymnastics history, through a series of events including 'The Road to Perfection', the symbolic route followed by the great champion from her home to the training hall. 'As
President Dan further rules out early elections: A majority will be formed on a solution
President Nicusor Dan further rules out the possibility of early elections, expressing his belief that a majority will emerge 'on a solution' for the formation of the new Government. 'It is a negotiation, meaning a negotiation in which each party has certain conditions - some of these conditions are negotiable, others are non-negotiable. What I can
Gheorghiu:Romania has European obligations which, for the first time in history, force it to move forward
The Romanian State has sincerely begun to look in the mirror over the past six months, and Romania has all ingredients to make the most of this moment and it has European obligations which, for the first time in history, force it to move forward, not backward, Acting Deputy PM Oana Gheorghiu told a specialist event on Tuesday. 'As you know the Government h
President Dan: Black Sea and Western Balkans region, strategic interest for Romania, NATO
The Black Sea region and the Western Balkans are of strategic interest both to Romania and to NATO, President Nicusor Dan said on Tuesday, mentioning that this is a period marked by multiple challenges and that like-minded states must cooperate. 'The Black Sea region and the Western Balkans region represent a strategic interest for Romania, but also for NA
President Nicusor Dan: The stronger Europe is, the stronger NATO is
The stronger Europe is, the stronger NATO is, President Nicusor Dan said on Tuesday at the opening of the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum. He was asked about the difference between the terms 'pro-European' and 'pro-Western' in the context of the latter being used more frequently recently. The President said that nothing has
Romania, included on Ukraine's new list on dual citizenship agreement
Ukraine has amended the list of countries with which it accepts dual citizenship agreements, adding 29 new states including Romania. On 8 May, the government in Kyiv adopted a 'decree regarding amendments to the list of states whose citizens (subjects) acquire Ukrainian citizenship through a simplified procedure.' Previously, the origina