Digitalization is growing rapidly in Lithuania and globally—ranging from cloud solutions and artificial intelligence to automated business processes. However, along with digital expansion, organizational vulnerability to cyber threats is also increasing rapidly. According to data from the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), a record number of cyber incidents has been recorded over the last two years: over 11,000 in 2024, and another 4,875 new significant incidents in 2025.
The greatest threats are posed by ransomware attacks, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, supply chain compromises, attacks on critical infrastructure, and the activities of geopolitical groups. In its 2024 Global Risks Report, the World Economic Forum identified cyberattacks as the second-largest global risk over the next 2–3 years.
According to Prof. Dr. Ieva Meidutė-Kavaliauskienė from the VILNIUS TECH Faculty of Business Management, these trends are particularly pronounced in the Baltic states. Data from Lithuania’s National Cyber Security Centre (NKSC) and ENISA confirm that Lithuania is classified among EU states that, due to their geopolitical situation, experience a significantly higher intensity of cyberattacks compared to the EU average. This is particularly relevant for organizations in the energy, finance, transport, logistics, and public sectors, for which business continuity is critically important.
International organizations such as ENISA, the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), and the World Economic Forum indicate that cyber threats remain one of the major global risk factors. The increasing pressure on organizations to respond quickly to evolving threats has become particularly evident following new legal requirements—the NIS2 Directive, the DORA regulation for the financial sector, and constantly tightening GDPR and ISO/IEC 27001 standards. These documents oblige organizations not only to protect data but also to have competent managers capable of ensuring a high level of cyber risk management.
The European Commission (EC) forecasts that by 2030, Europe will face a shortage of more than 500,000 cybersecurity specialists, including a large proportion of strategic-level managers. Currently, cybersecurity managers and analysts rank among the top ten fastest-growing professions globally. The European Union statistical agency (Eurostat) has found that as many as 46% of EU companies cannot find employees with sufficient cybersecurity qualifications.
"Cybersecurity has become a strategic issue—it is no longer just the responsibility of IT departments, but an essential part of managerial competence. Companies need leaders capable of understanding how cyber risks affect operational processes, financial decisions, reputation, and security," states Prof. Dr. I. Meidutė-Kavaliauskienė.
According to her, today's managers must know not only how to identify risks but also how to coordinate incident management, plan business recovery, and ensure the resilience of the entire organization.
"Cybersecurity management requires a broad approach—technological knowledge, strategic analysis, change management, and the ability to make decisions amidst uncertainty. It is a field that combines the principles of business, technology, and leadership," emphasizes the professor from the Faculty of Business Management.
Taking into account the rapid growth of threats and the evident shortage of security specialists and executives, VILNIUS TECH presents a new MBA program, "Cybersecurity Management," designed for executives and senior managers seeking to acquire cybersecurity and managerial competencies.
Prof. Dr. Ieva Meidutė-Kavaliauskienė emphasizes that this program is a response to real market needs.
"Cybersecurity is now a strategic area of organizational management; therefore, our goal is to prepare leaders capable of making responsible decisions, coordinating incident management, and ensuring organizational resilience," asserts the VILNIUS TECH expert.
