Dedicated to cybersecurity and tech companies, the programme by Luxinnovation includes a self-assessment, recommendations, training and actions.
Luxinnovation, Luxembourg’s national innovation agency, has launched CYBER4Growth, a collaborative platform to help startups test their security and GDPR awareness.
The initiative targets both cybersecurity entrepreneurs, who are looking for tailor-made support, and tech entrepreneurs needing to secure their solution.
The ambition is to position Luxembourg as a platform to grow, accelerate and scale in cybersecurity.
CYBER4Growth includes two programmes: “Assess & Protect”, a two-month session dedicated to all start-up profiles, focusing on infrastructure, legal and certifications.
And “Improve & Connect”, a 6- to 12-month programme dedicated to cybersecurity startups. The session provides access to both cybersecurity and venture capital ecosystems. It also focuses on infrastructure, legal and certifications, technology, business and internationalisation.
“Although it is very important, startups don’t consider cybersecurity as a top priority,” explains Gregory Wawszyniak-Dumont, project manager at SECURITYMADEIN.LU. “They rather focus on their growth and development, without protecting their sensitive data. A lack of security can however put a stop to their business.”
Simple standards and good practices
The programmes take place in three parts:
A self-assessment on security and privacy; A diagnostic (with expert recommendations); Training and actions, including a common module of premium sessions and services, and two modules dedicated to the cybersecurity startups: “Meeting with the public and the private player in Luxembourg”; “Enroll in international events with the Luxembourgish delegation”.
The programme also includes a set of resources, such as:
SecurIT: the service should identify future security solutions’ needs and use cases related to specific test beds by selecting and supporting best-in-class 63 projects developed by 126 SMEs across Europe (2 per project).
Fit4Cybersecurity: Fit4Cybersecurity is a service that includes multiple self-assessment tools. Its main goal is to allow users to quickly assess their information security maturity in different areas that CASES considers critical. Using all these self-assessment tools is anonymous and free.
Testing Platform: Testing is a way to identify areas for improvements, by spotting factual issues, whose remediation will help organisations to increase their competence in cybersecurity.
Fit4Contract: The services help to identify if the minimum required clauses concerning information security are present in contracts with ICT Service providers.
“Simple standards exist, and they are simple to apply. Therefore, Luxinnovation aims to help them to adopt a first layer of understanding, as well as cyber standards and good practices in data protection with a push on GDPR,” Wawszyniak-Dumont adds.
The programme advisory board includes partners and experts with extensive knowledge of startups’ needs in terms of financing, innovation, access to market and growth: Excellium Services, SECURITYMADEIN.LU, Luxinnovation GIE, Technoport, House of Startups, PricewaterhouseCoopers Luxembourg, University of Luxembourg, Govtech Lab and Luxembourg Private Equity Association.
