Cybersecurity National Lab

What Cybersecurity National Lab does

The Cybersecurity National Lab (Laboratorio Nazionale di Cybersecurity) is a non-profit national laboratory operating under CINI (Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per l'Informatica), founded in 2014 and headquartered in Rome. It coordinates a nationwide network of 59 nodes ("Nodi") distributed across Italian universities, research institutes, and military academies, mobilizing more than 800 professors and researchers. Its mission is to coordinate cybersecurity research, training, and education in Italy, and to address the national cybersecurity skills gap through structured talent development. The lab works closely with Italy's national cybersecurity agency (ACN), the intelligence department (DIS), the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), and the European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO).

The lab's product portfolio is organized around "The Big Game" training pathway and comprises training programs (CyberChallenge.IT for ages 16-24, OliCyber.IT for high school students, CyberTrials for young women, and CyberHighSchools for educators), the national cyberdefender team (TeamItaly), the annual ITASEC conference, research projects (CyberReadiness.IT, Osservatorio Lab-Accredia, FILIERA SICURA, Regulatory Sandbox, Framework Nazionale Cybersecurity), and co-management of the Cybersecurity Made in Europe Label. The underlying technology stack includes cyber ranges for hands-on training and virtual arenas for remote competition participation. All training programs are free for participants, and the operating model is community-led, relying on academic partnerships rather than direct sales.

The lab does not generate commercial revenue. It is funded through government grants, institutional research budgets, and alignment with Italy's National Cybersecurity Strategy 2022-2026. Its primary customer segments are students (aged 16-24), educational institutions hosting nodes, and government agencies (ACN, DIS) that rely on the lab for talent pipelines and research input. The organization is effectively a public-sector infrastructure for cybersecurity capacity-building, not a market-facing business.

Name

Cybersecurity National Lab

Legal name

Cybersecurity National Lab del CINI (Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per l'Informatica)

Website

https://cybersecnatlab.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cybersecurity National Lab is an Italian non-profit research consortium under CINI that coordinates 59 university nodes and 800+ researchers to run free cybersecurity training programs, national competitions, and the country's cyberdefender team for students aged 16-24.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Training and Research

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), National Security (928110)

akta.pro primary industry

Cybersecurity (General) (EDAOAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cybersecurity (EDAAAPAC), Cybersecurity Technical Skills (Security Engineering, SOC, Pen Testing) (EDABAFAF), Cybersecurity Learning Platforms (EDAFANAF), Penetration Testing, Red Team & Ethical Hacking (EDAOAIAH), Cyber Defense & Information Security (National Security) (BPAIAHAE)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity training programs
• National cybersecurity research
• Ethical hacking education
• Cyber talent pipeline
• Cybersecurity competitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Research Funding and Grants: Government and institutional funding for cybersecurity research projects, national strategy implementation, and ecosystem development
2. Training and Education Programs: Free training programs for students and professionals, with some programs potentially having associated costs for certification or advanced tracks

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Cybersecurity National Lab coordinates a national network of 59 university nodes across Italy to deliver cybersecurity training programs, competitions, and research. It runs free training pathways (CyberChallenge.IT, OliCyber.IT, CyberTrials), manages the TeamItaly national cyberdefender team for European competitions, and conducts research projects on human-factor cybersecurity risk assessment and national cybersecurity frameworks.

Product overview

The Cybersecurity National Lab (CINI) is a coordination and research organization that operates as a consortium of 59 university nodes across Italy with over 800 researchers. Rather than a unified software product, it offers a portfolio of training programs (CyberChallenge.IT, OliCyber.IT, CyberTrials, CyberHighSchools), a national team (TeamItaly), an annual conference (ITASEC), research projects (CyberReadiness.IT, Osservatorio Lab-Accredia, FILIERA SICURA, Regulatory Sandbox, Framework Nazionale), and the Cybersecurity Made In Europe Label certification initiative. These offerings collectively form The Big Game pathway for cybersecurity education and talent development in Italy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CyberChallenge.IT: National training program for young ethical hackers aged 16-24, operating in 31+ Italian universities
• OliCyber.IT
• CyberTrials
• TeamItaly
• CyberHighSchools
• ITASEC
• CyberReadiness.IT

Products and services

• CyberChallenge.IT National training program for young cybersecurity experts aged 16-24, recruiting and training future cyber defenders through theoretical lessons and gamification across 31+ Italian universities.
• OliCyber.IT Italian Cybersecurity Olympiad, a national competition for high school students combining gamification with structured cybersecurity training.
• CyberTrials Cybersecurity training program for young female students, aimed at increasing female representation in cybersecurity.
• TeamItaly Italian National Cybersecurity Team representing Italy in European and international cybersecurity competitions, including the European Cybersecurity Challenge organized by ENISA.
• CyberHighSchools Program bringing cybersecurity education and workshops to high schools across Italy, including training for high school teachers.
• ITASEC Annual Italian Conference on Cybersecurity, bringing together researchers, professionals, and institutions; 10th edition held in 2024 in Bologna.
• CyberReadiness.IT Program providing methodologies and instruments to measure the impact of human factors in evaluating cybersecurity risks.
• Cybersecurity Made In Europe Label European quality label for cybersecurity companies, promoted by ECSO, to certify their European origin and increase visibility in the European market.
• Framework Nazionale Cybersecurity National Cybersecurity Framework for data protection and security standards in Italy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 students enrolled in training programs in 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CINI (Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per l'Informatica)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization - Italian inter-university consortium for computer science that hosts the Cybersecurity National Lab as one of its national laboratories
• ECSO (European Cyber Security Organisation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributing to the Cybersecurity Made in Europe Label initiative; promoting European cybersecurity companies and increasing visibility on the European market
• CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Cybersecurity Made in Europe Label through CNR-IIT (Istituto di informatica e telematica)
• CNIT (Consorzio nazionale interuniversitario per le telecomunicazioni)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Cybersecurity Made in Europe Label and broader cybersecurity ecosystem development
• ACN (Agenziazia Nazionale di Cybersicurezza)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose collaboration with Italy's national cybersecurity agency; strategic alignment with national cybersecurity strategy 2022-2026
• ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination of European Cybersecurity Challenge; alignment with EU cybersecurity framework and standards
• DIS (Dipartimento delle Informazioni per la Sicurezza)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Italy's information security department on national cybersecurity initiatives
• Italian National PoliceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'You and Me Safe' web series on cybersecurity awareness for children
• Libraries of RomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'You and Me Safe' web series on cybersecurity awareness
• Scuola IMT Alti Studi di LuccacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on ITASEC conference organization; involved in national PhD program in cybersecurity
• Centro di Competenza Cybersecurity Toscano (C3T)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cybersecurity competence center for SMEs and public administration
• Italian Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValidation of training programs as excellence competitions; inclusion in national educational framework
• Italian Military AcademiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in training network through military academy nodes

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity): EU-level agency coordinating cybersecurity capability building, awareness, and the European Cybersecurity Challenge in which TeamItaly competes. Operates at the supranational level with an analogous mission to Cybersecurity National Lab's national coordination role.
• Hack The Box: Gamified cybersecurity training and competition platform with a global user base. Closely comparable product experience (cyber ranges, CTF competitions, learning paths) and overlapping target audience of self-directed cybersecurity learners.
• TryHackMe: Browser-based gamified cybersecurity learning platform with guided pathways and rooms covering ethical hacking, web security, and cryptography — substantially overlapping with CyberChallenge.IT's curriculum and pedagogy.
• PicoCTF (Carnegie Mellon University / PPP): Carnegie Mellon's free, large-scale cybersecurity competition and learning platform for middle/high school and university students. Directly comparable to OliCyber.IT and CyberTrials in format, audience, and gamified pedagogy.
• Cybrary: Online cybersecurity training platform offering free and paid video courses, hands-on labs, and career paths. Direct overlap with CyberChallenge.IT's free, online, training-led approach to building entry-level cyber talent.
• CyberFirst (UK NCSC): UK government-backed national cybersecurity education and talent pipeline for students aged 11–24. Structurally the most analogous national program to Cybersecurity National Lab, combining competitions, training courses, and a national team.

Broad incumbents

• EC-Council: Global commercial cybersecurity certification body (CEH, ECSA) with a training ecosystem aimed at career-entry and professional certification. Overlaps with Cybersecurity National Lab on ethical hacking training, but focused on credentialed, paid certification.
• SANS Institute: The dominant global commercial provider of cybersecurity technical training and certifications. Addresses the same technical skills curriculum (pen testing, SOC, security engineering) as Cybersecurity National Lab, but with a paid, globally marketed model.

Regional players

• NorSIS / Norwegian National Cyber Security Centre: Norway's national cybersecurity capability and awareness body, combining training programs and national-level coordination. Comparable national-scale mandate in a different geography.
• Cyber.org (Cyber Innovation Center): US K-12 cybersecurity education initiative funded by the Department of Defense, providing curriculum, teacher training, and CyberPatriot competitions. Comparable scope and target audience to OliCyber.IT and CyberHighSchools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CyberSecNatLab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cybersecurity National Lab