"Within the framework of the master class, current cases will be presented and the participants will solve them with the help of instruments proposed by Dr. Zwilling, after later they will be analyzed," commented Vladimir Bronfenbrenner - Secretary General of the Black Sea Security Academy and one of the leading national security experts in Israel.

Black Sea Security Academy's master classes end with an exam that students take in front of Israeli teachers. Those who successfully complete both parts of the training receive a prestigious certificate issued by the Black Sea Security Academy and the Cyber ​​Innovation Center in Israel.

Since 2020, the Black Sea Security Academy is the first and only one on the Balkans to have a Cyber ​​Range cyber simulator.

Last year, the Black Sea Security Academy was awarded the Varna Prize in the Social Sciences category, presented to Assoc. Prof. Krassimir Nedyalkov, PhD - President of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" and Vladimir Bronfenbrener.

- Здравейте, С колегите ми от Военна Академия "Г. С. Раковски" участвахме в приключилия в петък мастър клас воден от др. Моти Цвилинг. Ценим високо предоставената ни възможност и положените усилия от страна на Черноморска Академия за сигурност да организира този клас, въпреки всички трудности. Бихме искали да Ви помолим за достъп до материалите от класа, тъй като искаме нашата подготовка да е съответна на качеството на преподаване, както и на самия материал.

- Excellent course! Dr. Moti Zwilling is great!

- Благодаря за възможността да участвам в MASTER CLASS 2020, воден от Dr. Moti Zwilling. Беше изключително ползотворно и полезно за мен. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in MASTER CLASS 2020, led by Dr. Moti Zwilling. It was extremely beneficial and useful for me.

- The course was extremely useful for me as my knowledge in the field of cybersecurity is still vague. I am a lawyer by profession, and I am also a doctor of political science. This year I also completed a master's program in national security and decided to continue in this field more specifically in the field of cybersecurity. Thank you again.

The second part of the master class will take place in the second semester. After each part, students will take exams in front of Israeli lecturers. Students who complete the full course successfully will receive a prestigious certificate issued jointly by the Black Sea Security Academy and the Cyber ​​Innovation Center in Israel.

"The masterclass is being held for the second consecutive year. We have taken into account the impact of Covid-19 on the changes in the work of cybersecurity professionals and designed the training programme by including new and timely topics," said Vladimir Brofenbrenner, Secretary General of the Black Sea Security Academy.

Based on close co-operation, the Black Sea Academy for National Security presented Israel's leading experience and co-operation between higher education, industry and defence. Special emphasis was placed on the functions of the government as a regulator and coordinator, as well as on the important role of education. Israel's formula is also very successful in the field of cybersecurity, which was given special attention during the conference.

The presentation was highly appreciated and aroused great interest among the representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Economy, who raised the issue of the need for cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Economy.

"The materials provided by Moti Zwilling, PhD outlined what we should emphasise, what to look out for, how to interpret different situations as a type of alert (security breach), and also gave us additional information about the nature of the situation around us. Thank you for your good performance and we look forward to the next meeting," said Zvezdelin Nikolov, a student in the Cybersecurity master's degree programme at VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar". The students emphasized that the master class was the right way to gain expertise and knowledge in the learning process, especially with the inclusion of practical classes in it. 

"The lessons were of added value to me and helped me get into the specifics of cybersecurity," said Serkan Halil, a cybersecurity student at Varna Free University. "Despite the existing circumstances of the state of emergency, it was decided to hold a master class this semester as only systematic training can produce results. Thanks to our Israeli colleagues, we are able to achieve our goals, one of which is to bring cybersecurity training in Bulgaria to the highest world standards," said Vladimir Bronfenbrener, one of Israel's leading national security experts and Secretary General of the Black Sea Academy for National Security.

The master class is held for the second time. It will be in the virtual classrooms of Varna Free University. The first event took place last November and was met with great interest. The Academy's management decided that master classes in Cybersecurity should be held within each semester, thus giving great benefit to cyber security learners.

The event is sponsored by Guzik technical enterprises - USA.

Day 2 (26.4.2020) Total 6h.

09:00-11:00 Identification and authentication subsystem. [2h]

11:00-11:15 Break

11:15-12:15 Firewall [1h]

12:15-12:30 Break

12:30-14:00 The cryptographic security subsystem – [Part B] [1.5 h]

14:00-15:30 Cryptography Exercise/Demo [1.5 h]

* There may be some changes in timetable or plan. In addition they may be a change in providing some demo tools instead of some longer theoretical lecture.

The students in the Cybersecurity master’s degree programme at Varna Free University “Chernorizets Hrabar” will be the first and currently the only students in Bulgaria who will have the opportunity to undergo Cyber Range training during their studies at the university. Interest in the simulator has already been expressed by state and power structures, both from Bulgaria and from neighboring countries, which makes our country an important factor in the field of cybersecurity in the Western Balkans.

At the opening ceremony of the Cyber ​​Range Training Center, scheduled for 2 April 2020, at Varna Free University was expected to arrive an Israeli delegation headed by the Leading Cybersecurity Expert Major General (retired) Ami Shafran - Former Chief of Technology and Telecommunications Subdivision of the Israeli Army and currently President of the Ariel University Center for Innovation and Cybersecurity at Ariel University, as well as representatives from ministries, agencies and local government. In view of the constantly changing situation in Israel and Bulgaria, the schedule of the ceremony may be changed.

Within 90 minutes, Prof. Kekenowski outlines the causes of the refugee crises from 2011 to the present and presents a detailed collaboration of the EU actions and tools to deal with crises, as well as gaps and disagreements by individual member states of the Union on measures. The leading Macedonian politician outlines what has been done and what the gaps are. He presents his reflections on the direction the EU and the Western Balkans are heading. The lecture is a sublimate of study on the migrant crisis and contains a large number of statistical, financial, geographical and historical indicators.

Lecture:

Interview:

The two institutions have already implemented several joint projects, one of which was the master class entitled Cybersecurity Framework Practitioner Training for Professionals. Students from the master’s degree programme in Cybersecurity at Varna Free University "Chernorizets Hrabar" and from the Military Academy "G.S.Rakovski" participated in it.

"We have agreed with our Israeli partners to implement several projects in Bulgaria very soon, one of which will have no equivalent in the Balkan region," said Vladimir Bronfenbrenner, Secretary General of the Black Sea Academy for National Security.
"It is a great honour to partner with the Black Sea Academy for National Security and we will do our best to ensure that cybersecurity level in Bulgaria will reach the highest world standards", said Dr. Amit Dvir, director of the Centre for Innovation and Cybersecurity at Ariel University.

The theme of the lecture that will be delivered by Prof. Kekenovski is: EU’s “Unwillingness and inconsistent policy to resolve the refugee and migrant crisis or purposely sacrificing Western Balkan countries”.

Yitzhak Turgeman presented Israel's innovative and successful experience in implementing national priorities through higher education and cyber security. Issues of importance for Bulgaria related to defense, education and their interconnections in the social sphere were addressed. After the lecture, a discussion was held on the possibilities of applying the Israeli experience in Bulgaria, according to the local specifics. The lecture was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Varna Municipality Peycho Peichev, who presented the priorities of the Municipality in the field of education. The Rector of Varna Free University Prof. Dr. Peter Hristov was greatly interested by the presentation and suggested a joint work. Experts from the Security Management and Public Order Control Directorate of Varna Municipality - Nikola Kolev, Georgi Ivanov and Lyudmil Ivanov, were also present. Lecturers and students majoring in National Security, Law, and Cyber Security at Varna Free University have shown great interest in this topic.

"Lectures on topics relevant to Bulgaria and the region will be delivered by leading experts in national security, international relations and cyber security during the 2019/2020 Leaders Lectures Series at Varna Free University. Prior to their arrival in Varna, Yitzhak Turgeman and his colleague Vladimir Bronfenbrenner held working meetings in Sofia with representatives of relevant ministries, discussing cooperation based on Israeli experience.

A senior official of the Israeli National Cybersecurity Agency at the Israeli Prime Minister's Office presented in a video link between Bulgaria and Israel his lecture to the participants. For an hour and a half, students and experts had the unique opportunity to ask up-to-date questions, get answers, and participate in real-time discussions.

"Within these days, we have once again demonstrated a fundamentally new level and approach for Bulgaria in cybersecurity training that meets world standards, so that future professionals can meet the current cybersecurity challenges - in terms of national security," says one of Israel's leading national security experts and Secretary-General of the Black Sea Academy for National Security, Vladimir Bronfenbrenner.

Speakers are leading experts from the Ariel Cyber Innovation Center. Among the participant will be a cybersecurity specialists from National Insurance Institute (NOI) and Ministry of Labour and Social policy.

A senior official of the Israeli National Cybersecurity Agency at the Israeli Prime Minister's Office presented in a video link between Bulgaria and Israel his lecture to the participants. For an hour and a half, students and experts had the unique opportunity to ask up-to-date questions, get answers, and participate in real-time discussions.

"Within these days, we have once again demonstrated a fundamentally new level and approach for Bulgaria in cybersecurity training that meets world standards, so that future professionals can meet the current cybersecurity challenges - in terms of national security," says one of Israel's leading national security experts and Secretary-General of the Black Sea Academy for National Security, Vladimir Bronfenbrenner.