Cybersecurity Foundation

What Cybersecurity Foundation does

Cybersecurity Foundation (Fundacja Bezpieczna Cyberprzestrzeń) is a Polish non-profit organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Warsaw, operating with a 14-person team as Poland's leading neutral convener for cybersecurity capacity-building. The foundation's core offering is a portfolio of scenario-based training and exercise programs: Cyber-EXE Polska (since 2012, now in its 8th edition) and KSC-EXE (national cybersecurity system exercises) deliver sector-specific incident response simulations for financial, energy, telecommunications, and government institutions; the Security Case Study (SCS) conference has run 10 editions since 2014; the CyberBastion League and Cyber Twierdza platforms run seasonal gamified competitions with 112 teams in Season 6; the Cyber, Cyber... podcast has published 389+ episodes; and the Zawór Bezpieczeńststwa biweekly bulletin and CyberMocny awards (inaugurated 2025) round out the education and recognition ecosystem. The foundation operates on community-led and event-driven go-to-market motions, with revenue derived from professional services (training, exercise design, conference organization), sponsorships from commercial partners (Samsung, F5, EY, Mastercard, CrowdStrike, Splunk, SimSpace, SecureVisio), and likely grant funding.

The foundation serves three primary customer segments: government and public administration (Ministry of Digital Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, sector CSIRTs), critical infrastructure operators (energy majors PSE/Energa/PGE/TAURON, major Polish banks, telecom providers), and cybersecurity professionals/IT practitioners. It also engages academic institutions and runs international programs including Cyber-EXE Georgia (since 2015) and ECOWAS ISAC capacity-building under the PACWA initiative supported by GIZ. The foundation's technology footprint is minimal: it does not offer APIs, mobile apps, or proprietary software products, and CyberBastion is described as a tournament and simulation platform rather than a commercial product. The foundation's value proposition rests on practical, scenario-based training grounded in Polish regulatory frameworks (DORA, NIS2) and a 15-year track record that has established it as a trusted convener between the public and private sectors.

Name

Cybersecurity Foundation

Legal name

Fundacja Bezpieczna Cyberprzestrzeń

Website

https://cybsecurity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cybersecurity Foundation (Fundacja Bezpieczna Cyberprzestrzeń) is a Polish non-profit founded in 2010 that delivers cybersecurity training exercises, scenario-based competitions, and the annual Security Case Study conference, serving Polish government ministries, CSIRTs, critical infrastructure operators, and cybersecurity professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Training & Education

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Cybersecurity Training & Awareness Programs (BPAEANAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cybersecurity Learning Platforms (EDAFANAF), Cyber Defense & Information Security (National Security) (BPAIAHAE), Cybersecurity (EDAAAPAC)

Keywords

• Cybersecurity training
• Cybersecurity exercises
• Incident response simulations
• Cybersecurity conferences
• Cybersecurity awareness

Headquarters

HQ city

Warsaw

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training and Exercise Services: The foundation organizes cybersecurity training exercises and simulations for government, military, and private sector organizations, including Cyber-EXE and KSC-EXE programs.
2. Conference and Event Organization: Organizes the annual Security Case Study conference, which has reached 10 editions, providing professional development and networking for cybersecurity practitioners.
3. Educational Content: Produces publications, reports, and the Cyber, Cyber... podcast series with over 389 episodes, providing cybersecurity education and awareness.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cybersecurity Foundation (Fundacja Bezpieczna Cyberprzestrzeń) is a Polish non-profit organization that designs and delivers cybersecurity education, training, and exercise programs for government, military, critical infrastructure, and financial sector institutions. Its core offerings include scenario-based incident response exercises (Cyber-EXE Polska, KSC-EXE), an annual Security Case Study conference, the CyberBastion League competition platform, the Cyber Twierdza training platform, a long-running podcast (Cyber, Cyber...), and a biweekly newsletter (Zawór Bezpieczeństwa). The foundation also operates international cybersecurity capacity building programs in Georgia and West Africa.

Product overview

Cybersecurity Foundation (Fundacja Bezpieczna Cyberprzestrzeń) is a Polish non-governmental organization that serves as a comprehensive cybersecurity education and training ecosystem rather than a single product company. The foundation operates multiple interconnected programs: the Security Case Study (SCS) conference provides annual expert knowledge exchange; Cyber-EXE Polska and KSC-EXE exercises deliver hands-on incident response training; Liga CyberBastion and Cyber Twierdza offer gamified tournament platforms for skill development; the Cyber, Cyber... podcast provides accessible audio content; and Zawór Bezpieczeństwa delivers regular newsletter bulletins. The organization also manages the CyberMocny awards, international programs like Cyber-EXE Gruzja, and Cloud Security Alliance activities in Poland. These programs work together to advance cybersecurity awareness, skills, and coordination across Polish public and private sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Liga CyberBastion: Cybersecurity tournament league where teams compete in realistic scenarios inspired by real incidents, testing their skills in organizational protection and incident response.
• Security Case Study (SCS)
• Cyber-EXE Polska
• Cyber-EXE
• KSC-EXE
• CyberMocny
• Podcast Cyber, Cyber...
• Zawór Bezpieczeństwa
• CyberBastion
• Polska Obywatelska Cyberobrona
• Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Chapter

Products and services

• Security Case Study (SCS) Conference Annual independent cybersecurity conference held in Poland since 2014, connecting IT security specialists, leaders, and decision-makers from IT, administration, military, business, and academia through case study presentations, expert panels, workshops, and networking.
• Liga CyberBastion (CyberBastion League) Series of cybersecurity tournaments and training simulations where teams test their skills in scenario-based challenges, protecting IT environments and competing for season rankings. Uses the DISARM framework and simulates real-world incident response scenarios.
• Cyber-EXE Polska Cycle of exercises testing cybersecurity incident response capabilities and coordination among organizations. Tests technical, organizational, and media response layers during simulated cyberattacks on critical infrastructure sectors including finance, energy, and telecommunications.
• Podcast Cyber, Cyber...

Quantifiable outcome

• 112 teams developed cybersecurity skills through CyberBastion League Season 6
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• ECOWAS ISAC (Economic Community of West African States)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2025Foundation participates in ECOWAS Information Sharing and Analysis Centre activities under the Platform for Advancing Cybersecurity in West Africa (PACWA) initiative. Contributed to organizational framework development, SOPs, and regional MoU for threat information exchange. Hosted meeting in Cotonou, Benin in October 2025.
• SecureVisiomajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2025New strategic partner for CyberBastion League in 2025, supporting cybersecurity competition activities.
• EY (Ernst & Young)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2024Main partner for Cyber-EXE Polska 2024 exercises focused on financial sector DORA preparation, providing expertise and knowledge for exercise scenarios.
• SimSpacesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2024Provided cyber range platform and training tools for CEP24 exercises.
• SplunksupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2024Provided tools and knowledge for CEP24 exercises.
• MastercardsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2024Partner for CEP24 exercises supporting financial sector cybersecurity capacity building.
• CrowdStrikesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2024Provided expertise and tools for CEP24 exercises.
• Gruzja (Georgia) GovernmentmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Co-organizes and coordinates Cyber-EXE exercises in Georgia since 2014, including Cyber-EXE Georgia 2015 at Georgian Military Academy in Gori.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports foundation's international cybersecurity capacity building activities in Africa through the PACWA program and ECOWAS ISAC development.
• Open CSIRT FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaborates on technical aspects of cybersecurity exercises and threat information sharing, including MISP platform integration for ECOWAS ISAC exercises.
• Samsung Electronics PolskamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatinum partner for Security Case Study conference; partner for Cyber Twierdza League finals and cybersecurity exercises.
• F5 NetworksmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatinum partner for Security Case Study conference; provided technical expertise on encrypted traffic security.
• NASKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMerytoryczny (substantive) partner for Cyber Twierdza League Season 3; collaborated on national cybersecurity exercises.
• CSIRT NASKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipates in foundation exercises; handles vulnerability reports coordinated through foundation.
• CSIRT GOVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment CSIRT participates in KSC-EXE and Cyber-EXE exercises.
• CSIRT MONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary CSIRT participates in national cybersecurity exercises organized by foundation.
• CSIRT KNFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSector CSIRT for financial sector participates in CEP exercises.
• Rządowe Centrum Bezpieczeństwa (RCB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on critical infrastructure protection exercises and co-publishes CIIP focus bulletin.
• Ministerstwo CyfryzacjicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry collaborates on KSC-EXE exercises and national cybersecurity initiatives; provides honorary patronage for SCS conference.
• Ministerstwo Obrony NarodowejcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides honorary patronage for Security Case Study conference; collaborates on defense-related cybersecurity exercises.
• AFRIPOLsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated during ECOWAS ISAC workshop on cybercrime cooperation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Cloud Security Alliance: Global non-profit focused on cloud and broader cybersecurity education, awareness, and best-practice development; the Foundation runs a CSA chapter and mirrors CSA's non-profit, community-driven model for cybersecurity training and certifications.
• OWASP Foundation: Non-profit foundation producing open cybersecurity awareness content, local chapters, and community-driven projects; structurally and operationally analogous to the Foundation's community-and-content-led model.
• European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO): European non-profit umbrella that coordinates cybersecurity community, events, and capacity-building across the EU; comparable as a non-profit ecosystem organizer with events, working groups, and public-private member engagement.

Broad incumbents

• ISACA: Global professional association for IT governance, risk, and cybersecurity with chapters, conferences, and certifications (CISM, CISA); comparable in mission to elevate practitioner capabilities and host regional conferences.
• ENISA (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity): EU agency that runs pan-European cybersecurity exercises (e.g., Cyber Europe) and capacity-building for member states; directly comparable to KSC-EXE at the Polish national level and to the Foundation's international exercise work.
• SANS Institute: The dominant commercial cybersecurity training and certification organization globally; comparable through its practitioner-focused training, exercises, and GIAC certifications that the Foundation's exercises and conferences also serve.
• (ISC)²: International non-profit association for cybersecurity professionals offering CISSP and other certifications; comparable as a professional-development body that aggregates security practitioners and produces training-adjacent content.

Emerging players

• Cybrary: Online cybersecurity training platform targeting practitioners and teams with on-demand courses and skill assessments; comparable as a digital-first cybersecurity skills-development platform competing for the same practitioner audience.

Regional players

• CERT Polska: Poland's national incident-response team housed at NASK; comparable as a Polish cybersecurity body running practitioner training, exercises, and awareness content alongside CSIRT operations.
• NASK (Naukowa i Akademicka Sieć Komputerowa): Polish national research institute and CSIRT NASK operator that runs CERT Polska and national cybersecurity R&D; a named partner of the Foundation and structurally comparable as a Polish public-facing cybersecurity body running exercises and training.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cybsecurity_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cybsecurity
• Facebookfacebook.com/FundacjaBezpiecznaCyberprzestrzen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cybersecurity-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Cybersecurity Foundation