Publication result detail

Cybersecurity Micro-credentials and Career Path Design: The Digital4Security Good Practices

RICCI, S.; DZURENDA, P.; SOMERS, C.; GONZÁLEZ-VÉLEZ, H.; MORÁVEK, L.

Original Title

Cybersecurity Micro-credentials and Career Path Design: The Digital4Security Good Practices

English Title

Cybersecurity Micro-credentials and Career Path Design: The Digital4Security Good Practices

Type

Paper in proceedings (conference paper)

Original Abstract

Cybersecurity is critical to safeguarding digital economies, yet the sector faces a significant expert shortage. Addressing this gap requires scalable and flexible education to upskill both specialists and nonspecialists. This paper introduces a novel, good-practice methodology for the design of micro-credentials and an AI-driven career path planning solution, both aligned with the European Cybersecurity Skills Framework (ECSF). The primary objective is to support the scalable development of standardized, ECSF-aligned cybersecurity micro-credentials that address evolving labour market needs and facilitate personalized career progression. The proposed approach is validated through the Digital4Security case study, where 17 ECSF-aligned micro-credentials were developed and analyzed. Additionally, a dedicated open-source web application, the Cybersecurity Career Path Designer, supports personalized pathway planning for users by matching existing skills to ECSF profiles. This work demonstrates a practical and scalable framework for aligning education with cybersecurity market needs.

English abstract

Cybersecurity is critical to safeguarding digital economies, yet the sector faces a significant expert shortage. Addressing this gap requires scalable and flexible education to upskill both specialists and nonspecialists. This paper introduces a novel, good-practice methodology for the design of micro-credentials and an AI-driven career path planning solution, both aligned with the European Cybersecurity Skills Framework (ECSF). The primary objective is to support the scalable development of standardized, ECSF-aligned cybersecurity micro-credentials that address evolving labour market needs and facilitate personalized career progression. The proposed approach is validated through the Digital4Security case study, where 17 ECSF-aligned micro-credentials were developed and analyzed. Additionally, a dedicated open-source web application, the Cybersecurity Career Path Designer, supports personalized pathway planning for users by matching existing skills to ECSF profiles. This work demonstrates a practical and scalable framework for aligning education with cybersecurity market needs.

Keywords

Career Path | Cybersecurity Education | ECSF Framework | Methodology | Micro-credentials

Key words in English

Career Path | Cybersecurity Education | ECSF Framework | Methodology | Micro-credentials

Authors

RICCI, S.; DZURENDA, P.; SOMERS, C.; GONZÁLEZ-VÉLEZ, H.; MORÁVEK, L.

RIV year

2026

Released

01.01.2025

Publisher

Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

ISBN

9783032006462

Book

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

Periodical

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

State

Swiss Confederation

Pages from

77

Pages to

95

Pages count

19

URL

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-032-00644-8_5

BibTex

@inproceedings{BUT200043,
  author="Sara {Ricci} and Petr {Dzurenda} and  {} and  {} and Lisa Janine {Morávek}",
  title="Cybersecurity Micro-credentials and Career Path Design: The Digital4Security Good Practices",
  booktitle="Lecture Notes in Computer Science",
  year="2025",
  journal="Lecture Notes in Computer Science",
  pages="77--95",
  publisher="Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH",
  doi="10.1007/978-3-032-00644-8\{_}5",
  isbn="9783032006462",
  url="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-032-00644-8_5"
}