A cyber crisis can have major consequences for the continuity and reputation of your college of higher education. It is crucial not only to focus on preventive measures, but also to prepare for a potential cyber crisis.
To support its clients in the education and research sector, Belnet and the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB) are organising, for the third consecutive time, a training programme designed to guide them in setting up and running a cyber crisis exercise within their institution.
In previous editions, universities, hospitals and Federal Scientific Institutions (FSIs) took part. This year, the programme is exclusively open to all colleges of higher education connected to Belnet.
What does the programme include?
The training programme consists of three in-person workshops and one online follow-up session. After this preparatory phase, you will organise an individual tabletop exercise within your college of higher education. Finally, the programme will conclude with a debriefing session where participating organisations will share their lessons learned.
A tabletop exercise is an ideal format to bring all relevant stakeholders together in a calm setting, to raise awareness about the importance of crisis management, to test (communication) procedures, and more. Research shows that organisations that regularly carry out crisis exercises are better equipped to manage a “real” cyber crisis and to mitigate its impact. They are also better prepared to communicate with their stakeholders (such as staff, media and authorities) during the crisis.
Who can participate?
- All colleges of higher education connected to Belnet
- Anyone within the organisation who acts as a crisis coordinator, CISO, risk manager, security expert, CIO, …
- At registration, we ask you to designate at least two people: an exercise preparer and an observer. Please read the additional information (French version / Dutch version) carefully beforehand.
What to expect
- Three workshops on crisis management, and on how to organise, facilitate and evaluate (cyber) crisis exercises
- An individual follow-up session, with tailored advice from a crisis management expert to help you prepare your exercise optimally
- A central debriefing session to share lessons learned and exchange experiences with other participating organisations
“The training programme gave us the tools and the necessary encouragement to organise a cyber crisis exercise for KU Leuven’s ICTS team. The exercise was considered highly valuable by the participants and enabled us to identify areas for improvement as well as a number of quick wins.”
Kris Hermans, ICTS Security Coordinator @ KU Leuven
Practical details
The workshops will take place at Belnet (WTC III, Brussels) on the following dates:
- 16 December 2025 (full day)
- 13 January 2026 (full day)
- 3 February 2026 (half day)
The exercise period – during which you will need to organise your individual crisis exercise – runs from mid-March to mid-May 2026. The debriefing session is scheduled for the end of May 2026 (exact date to be confirmed).
Participation in the programme is completely free of charge, but we do expect confirmed and active involvement from both the exercise preparer and the observer within your organisation.
Registration
You can register until 30 November 2025 via the link below.
Please note: the number of participating organisations is limited to 15. Don’t wait too long to secure your spot!
Join our training program