ESTDEV-funded project strengthens Moldova's cyber defence capabilities and lays the foundation for training future specialists

Like many European countries, Moldova faces increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks while a shortage of qualified specialists limits its ability to respond effectively. The project, "Supporting Human-Centred e-Governance and Cybersecurity Capacity in Moldova," has begun to address these challenges through close collaboration between Estonia and Moldova. It focused on strengthening cybersecurity education, improving the practical preparedness of public institutions and enhancing national crisis management capabilities. The project's main partners included the Cyber Academy at the Technical University of Moldova and Moldovan institutions responsible for cybersecurity and digital government development. 

"Moldova wants to become more efficient and competitive. To achieve this, we need to optimise and digitalise our systems," said Sergiu Rabii, one of Moldova's leading figures in IT and digital development. 

From training to sustainable capacity 

One of the project's most significant achievements was the launch of a train-the-trainer programme in digital forensics. Guided by experts from the Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Moldovan cybersecurity professionals developed practical skills in communication, information sharing and teamwork in high-stress situations. 

"We learned how to protect the modern world," said Oliver Kikas, a TalTech expert. "Payments, cars, healthcare, agriculture, everything depends on IT systems. Someone has to protect them; otherwise, chaos follows." 

Estonian experts delivered the training programmes and transferred all course materials to their Moldovan partners, ensuring the knowledge remains in the country. In total, 45 future trainers participated in the programme. 

"The project's greatest achievement is not simply the number of specialists trained, but the fact that the knowledge and expertise will remain in Moldova. Local experts can now train new cybersecurity professionals and continue developing educational programmes that will strengthen the country's cyber resilience for years to come. This kind of sustainable impact is the true goal of development cooperation," said Arturas Matšenas, ESTDEV's e-Governance project manager. 

Real attacks, real teams 

Knowledge alone is not enough to ensure preparedness. For this reason, the project placed strong emphasis on developing practical skills. 

In autumn 2025, the international cyber exercise MD–EE Cyber Shield was held in Chișinău, bringing together more than 60 cybersecurity experts from government institutions and critical infrastructure organisations. Using scenarios based on real cyber incidents, participants practised detecting attacks, responding to incidents and coordinating their actions during cyber crises. 

Organised jointly by Estonia's e-Governance Academy, the Moldovan Cybersecurity Agency (ASC) and CybExer Technologies, the exercise demonstrated the strong potential of Moldovan organisations while also identifying areas for further improvement. These included earlier threat detection, real-time incident response, critical systems monitoring, and enhanced information sharing between organisations. The exercise has become an important tool for planning the future development of Moldova's cyber defence capabilities. 

"Cyber exercises are the most effective way to train cybersecurity capabilities and ensure that critical services are prepared to respond effectively to future challenges," said Elsa Neeme, a senior expert at the e-Governance Academy. 

A new tool for crisis management 

One of the project's most tangible outcomes was the deployment of a situational awareness platform in Moldova's national government cloud. The platform enables institutions responsible for cybersecurity to analyse threats more effectively, share information and coordinate responses during potential cyber incidents. 

Its applications extend beyond cybersecurity. The platform can also support the monitoring of critical infrastructure and help prevent disruptions such as power outages. 

Interest in the solution exceeded expectations. 60 specialists participated in the training programme - more than originally planned - demonstrating Moldovan partners' growing commitment to investing in cybersecurity. As a result of the project, both national situational awareness and inter-agency cooperation have improved. 

“Situational awareness software helps Moldovan authorities gain an overview of the situation during crises. Sharing information in a shared workspace allows them to respond more quickly, and as part of the training, participants practiced using the software to analyze various pieces of information and use them to form a complete picture. Interest was greater than we had initially anticipated - people from agencies in a wide variety of fields attended the training. Today, the software is already being used to solve real-world problems,” said Villiko Nurmoja, CEO of SensusQ. 

Estonia's experience creates lasting impact in Moldova 

According to Andres Ääremaa, ESTDEV's head of e-Governance and Cybersecurity, digital transformation is never only about technology; its success depends on people, institutions and the ability to use digital services securely. 

"Estonia knows this from its own experience. We have built a digital state, learned how to protect it and transformed those lessons into practical cooperation with our international partners. That has made Estonia a natural partner for Moldova. Through this project, we enhanced cybersecurity education, improved the practical preparedness of experts and public institutions, and strengthened national crisis management. These results will continue to deliver value long after the project has ended," said Ääremaa. 

Estonia will continue supporting Moldova. In 2026, ESTDEV will implement three cybersecurity and digital development projects to ensure Moldova is better able to protect itself against future cyber threats.