Experiences from Kranj (Slovenia) and Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) show that technology alone is not enough. Awareness, cooperation and tested response plans matter just as much.
On 9 November 2026, SMART ERA, EUSALP Action Group 5 (AG5) and the Swiss Center for Mountain Regions (SAB) held the online SmartAlps webinar “Cybersecurity: Are your citizens and your municipality safe?”. The event was organised with the support of the other EU macro-regional strategies. It brought together municipalities, regions, research organisations and EU institutions from the Alpine area and beyond.
Cyberattacks on public bodies are no longer a distant threat. According to the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), public administration was the most targeted sector in the EU, accounting for 38.2% of incidents identified in its latest reporting period. Slovenia offered a recent example: in late October 2026, unauthorised access to a government web server exposed more than 15,000 staff user records.
Kranj: protecting people, processes and technology
Tomáž Lanišek, Head of the Office for Development and Smart City at the City of Kranj, presented the municipality’s multi-layered approach. Its aim is to prevent incidents, detect threats early and respond effectively. He structured it around three dimensions:
- Technical: an external Security Operations Centre (SOC) monitors networks, devices and servers around the clock. Multi-factor authentication protects Microsoft 365 and VPN access, the network is segmented and software is updated regularly. Penetration tests, including assessments led by the national Information Security Office (URSIV), check resilience before incidents occur.
- Organisational: closer cooperation between municipal departments, with clear procedures for detecting, documenting and reporting incidents.
- Social: the PhishStrike platform raises awareness among employees, city councillors and local communities through short training modules, knowledge checks and phishing simulations.
All three dimensions must be addressed together for a strategy to work. Looking ahead, Kranj plans cyber “fire drills”, incident response playbooks and regular recovery tests of its backups. It will also move towards Zero Trust principles and stronger protection of its Smart City sensor infrastructure.
Friuli Venezia Giulia: building a cyber-aware young generation
Paolo Perucci, EUSALP AG5 Focal Point on Digital Infrastructures and Deputy Director General at the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, showed how the Region engages young people. His starting point: digital natives are not automatically cyber-safe. Being connected is not the same as recognising threats and making safe decisions.
- In schools: the Regional Digital School Plan 2025–2028 promotes digital citizenship and innovative teaching. Between October 2025 and April 2026, 356 students from 20 schools visited the INSIEL data centre to learn about infrastructure, phishing and online scams, and careers in ICT and cybersecurity.
- Beyond the classroom: Digital Facilitation Points, funded under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, offer free one-to-one support, group courses and online resources. Cybersecurity is part of a broader digital-skills pathway open to all citizens, including young people.
- Learning by deciding: instead of starting with definitions, sessions use everyday scenarios, such as a QR code leading to an urgent login request. The message is simple: pause, check, then decide.
Awareness and cooperation: the strongest defence
Both cases pointed to the same lesson: a lack of awareness and unsafe behaviour are often the weakest links in cybersecurity. Effective protection also depends on cooperation – between municipal departments, between like-minded municipalities and with well-chosen external service providers. Pooling expertise and resources closes security gaps more efficiently than isolated solutions.
SMART ERA and EUSALP AG5: a growing partnership
The webinar is the latest milestone in the cooperation between SMART ERA and EUSALP AG5. Earlier joint work includes contributions to the new EUSALP Action Plan, the AG5 Work Plan and several DigitalAlps conferences.
The discussion confirmed that the cybersecurity challenges of Alpine municipalities are closely linked to those faced by rural communities across Europe. SmartAlps, an initiative of EUSALP AG5, is a growing network of smart municipalities exchanging experience on digitalisation and participation (smart-alps.eu). SMART ERA, the SmartAlps Network and EUSALP AG5 plan to continue their cooperation, building on the foundations laid through macro-regional networking.
