The fair opened today at the Palace of Congresses, bringing together representatives of public institutions, the private sector and the technology community, as well as entrepreneurs, professionals and students. Over two days, the programme features discussions, presentations and activities focused on innovation and technological transformation.

In his opening remarks, AKSK Director General Bledar Kazia emphasised that the pace of technological development in Albania must be matched by stronger cybersecurity, technological capabilities and human resources. He also highlighted the importance of cooperation among institutions, businesses and young professionals in building a safer and more resilient digital ecosystem.

This message continued in the panel “Innovation for a Safer, Sustainable and Resilient Future”, where Mr Kazia discussed the security and resilience of digital infrastructure and their direct connection to service continuity, the economy and trust in digital transformation.

Visit us at the Palace of Congresses to learn more about our work and initiatives, and follow us for updates on the activities taking place over these two days.

The Director General of AKSK welcomed the participants and expressed his appreciation to GIZ representatives for their continued partnership and support in strengthening capacities and cooperation in the field of cybersecurity. During the meeting, AKSK experts shared the Authority’s experience and key developments within Albania’s national cybersecurity ecosystem. Discussions also focused on cooperation practices among Western Balkan countries, regional challenges, and opportunities for the exchange of expertise, knowledge, and experience.

The use of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity, related risks, and regulatory approaches were also addressed, facilitating a direct exchange of experiences between AKSK experts and the participants on issues that are increasingly shaping the cybersecurity landscape.

AKSK has contributed its professional expertise to the development of these modules, with the aim of ensuring that online safety education does not remain limited to awareness campaigns or individual activities, but becomes a sustainable part of the education system.

Why is online safety education needed?

Children are among the most active users of technology and the internet. Alongside opportunities to learn, communicate and develop new skills, they may also face cyberbullying, online scams, dangerous contacts, inappropriate content, data theft and identity misuse.

For this reason, protecting children online should begin before a problem occurs. Students need practical knowledge and skills that help them use technology in a safe, responsible and informed manner.

A programme tailored to students’ age

The content has been designed as a progressive learning journey. In Grade I, students are introduced to digital devices and learn to distinguish between safe and unsafe situations, protect their personal information, and seek help from a trusted adult when something concerns them. Through role-playing, simulated situations, drawings and activities focused on screen time, they develop their first rules for safe and ethical online behaviour.

In Grade VI, the topics are more directly related to the ways children of this age use social media, communication applications and online games. Students explore identity and digital footprints, cyberbullying, privacy and online scams. They analyse examples of phishing through emails, SMS messages, phone calls and fake websites, practise verifying sources before clicking, and learn about using strong passwords, blocking, preserving evidence and reporting.

In Grade X, cybersecurity is addressed more broadly through the concept of digital citizenship. In addition to protecting accounts, devices and data, students explore online reputation, cyber threats, ethics and rights in the digital environment. They develop skills to verify sources, identify disinformation and manipulated content, understand the impact of algorithms, and respond appropriately to cyber incidents.

Official Curricula

• Online Safety – Grade I: Online Safety – Grade I
• Cybersecurity – Grade VI: Cybersecurity – Grade VI
• Cybersecurity and Digital Citizenship – Grade X: Cybersecurity and Digital Citizenship – Grade X

An approach that will gradually expand

The implementation in Grades I, VI and X represents the first phase of a broader process. In the coming years, the aim is to gradually extend the modules to other grades, establishing continuity in cybersecurity education across different stages of schooling.

The Role of Parents and Teachers

Children’s online safety is a shared responsibility. Schools, families and institutions should encourage open communication so that children feel safe speaking up when they encounter a concerning situation online. The goal is not to keep children away from technology, but to ensure that they use it safely.

The main topics presented included:

Strengthening the legal and regulatory framework – the adoption of Law No. 51/2026 “On Electronic Identification, Trust Services and the Digital Identity Wallet”, aligned with the European eIDAS1 and eIDAS2 regulations. In parallel, the public consultation process on amendments to Law No. 25/2024 “On Cybersecurity” has been completed, focusing on strengthening administrative measures, reporting obligations and cooperation among critical and important infrastructures, as well as fulfilling obligations related to European integration.

European Union Integration – AKSK is engaged in Chapters 10, 20 and 31, focusing on defining obligations and responsibilities, cooperation mechanisms, and the standardisation of cybersecurity and cyber resilience measures. As part of this process, work is also underway to establish sectoral CIRT teams.

Expanding the protection of critical and important infrastructures – the number of protected infrastructures has increased from 215 to 328, expanding the scope of cybersecurity oversight and protection.

Prevention and management of cyber incidents – during 2026, 20 cyber incidents were recorded, of which 4 were classified as critical or as having an impact on data or services, while the remaining incidents had no impact on the data and services provided to the public.

Enhancing monitoring, prevention and response capacities – the Authority’s human and technological capacities have been strengthened, while artificial intelligence has been integrated into part of the monitoring processes and is being further expanded to other areas of AKSK’s work.

Awareness-raising – for the first time, cybersecurity has been incorporated into school curricula through three modules for grades I, VI and X. In parallel, training and awareness-raising activities continue for students, teachers, parents, public administration, and critical and important infrastructures.

The equipment was delivered under the Memorandum of Understanding for the “Western Balkans Cybersecurity Laboratory: Training, Innovation and Expertise Exchange”, which aims to develop the laboratory at AKSK into a regional hub for advanced training, simulations, knowledge exchange, and cooperation among cybersecurity experts from the Western Balkan countries.

The new infrastructure will create opportunities to strengthen the practical skills of professionals and students across the region, particularly in incident response, digital forensics, penetration testing, and cyber resilience.

The Director General of AKSK, Bledar Kazia, expressed his appreciation for the support provided by GIZ and the German Federal Government, emphasizing that the expansion of this cooperation creates new opportunities to share expertise and build joint capacities with Western Balkan partners.

The support is provided through the “Partnership for Strengthening Cybersecurity” project, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by GIZ.

Albania has ranked first in the world in the National Cyber Security Index (NCSI), achieving a score of 98.33 points and placing the country at the top of the global ranking for the development of national cybersecurity capabilities.

This position marks a significant and sustained improvement in the international ranking—from 54th place in 2023 to 15th place in 2025, and now to first place globally.

The National Cyber Security Index assesses countries’ capacities to prevent and manage cyber risks, protect essential services, respond to cyber incidents, develop national policies and strategies, advance education and professional development, and strengthen international cooperation.

Albania’s score reflects the progress achieved in strengthening its legal and strategic framework, consolidating the responsible institutions, developing national institutional and professional capacities, and improving mechanisms for coordination, prevention, and response to cyber threats.

This ranking also reflects the continued work of the National Authority for Cyber Security to enhance the resilience of critical and important information infrastructures, strengthen national and international cooperation, and foster a secure and resilient cybersecurity ecosystem.

Albania’s first-place ranking confirms the country’s progress in cybersecurity and the alignment of its national capabilities with international standards and best practices.

Report link: https://ncsi.ega.ee/country/al/

In his remarks, NCSA Director General Bledar Kazia commended the cooperation with Critical and Important Information Infrastructures and their role in enhancing the country’s cybersecurity posture. He emphasized that, in the face of an ever-evolving threat landscape, incident reporting, continuous communication, and coordinated response remain key elements in protecting critical infrastructures.

The meeting also addressed the Authority’s priorities for the upcoming period, including strengthening monitoring capabilities, establishing sectoral CSIRTs, and providing continuous support to critical and important infrastructures through audits, security testing, and capacity-building training activities.

The meeting served as a platform for dialogue to address shared challenges and further strengthen cooperation towards a safer and more resilient digital environment.

NCSA extends its appreciation to DCAF for its continued support and partnership in strengthening national cybersecurity capacities.

The training aimed to strengthen cybersecurity standards within institutions and enhance the professional capacities of employees by equipping them with the skills required to carry out cybersecurity audits, in line with legal requirements and international standards.

This activity is part of a series of trainings that will continue throughout the year, with a focus on supporting critical and important infrastructures in meeting legal requirements related to cybersecurity.