Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has announced the graduation of more than 6,000 trainees from the third edition of its Cybersecurity Academy for Youth and Young Adults, known as the “Superhero Academy.”
The graduation ceremony was held in Cairo on September 12, 2026, and attended by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Raafat Hendy, senior ministry officials and representatives from technology and cybersecurity companies.
The programme was organised by the National Telecommunication Institute (NTI) in cooperation with the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority’s EG-CERT, with support from local and international technology companies. The latest edition expanded its reach to 27 governorates, with training delivered through 19 sites across 17 governorates.
The first phase focused on 4,626 children aged eight to 17, providing basic cybersecurity awareness covering threats such as phishing, cyber fraud, account theft, cyberbullying, electronic harassment, blackmail and identity theft. Participants also learned about the risks of sharing personal information and photographs online.
The programme selected 38 high-performing teams from the eight-to-11 and 12-to-14 age groups for an additional training camp, where participants developed project ideas and competed to identify winning teams in each category.
The second phase trained 1,324 university students aged 18 to 21 in penetration testing, network security, security operations centres and cyber operations. According to the ministry, 382 graduates, representing about 28.9% of participants in this phase, completed real-world assignments through freelance platforms just one week after completing their training.
The graduates collectively earned more than $6,000 through 20 freelance platforms, demonstrating the programme’s focus on connecting cybersecurity education with practical employment and income-generating opportunities. Participants in several tracks also received access to international certifications and examinations through technology company academies.
The third phase focused on 227 university graduates with cybersecurity backgrounds, providing advanced training in cloud security and governance, risk and compliance. Cloud security graduates received the AWS Academy Cloud Security Foundations badge and AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Raafat Hendy said the strong participation demonstrated growing awareness of cybersecurity among young people and their families. He described cybersecurity as a fundamental pillar of Egypt’s digital transformation as digital services and artificial intelligence adoption continue to expand.
Hendy also highlighted emerging cybersecurity risks associated with AI, including identity theft, fabricated content, misinformation and data breaches. He called on graduates to continue developing their technical capabilities and contribute to a more secure and digitally aware society.
NTI Director Ahmed Khatib said the academy had expanded and refined its training content and pathways to accommodate different ages and skill levels. The programme is increasingly focused on translating theoretical knowledge into practical capabilities through projects, applied challenges, freelance opportunities and specialised training.
NTI also announced continued support for selected youth teams participating in the Egypt Cyber Heroes Hackathon 2026. The initiative will provide project development opportunities, specialised expertise and job training through private-sector partnerships.
Three new cooperation agreements were also announced during the ceremony. NTI signed a protocol with ICT-MISR to train students and graduates in cybersecurity and advanced technologies, while Codenizer will support the Egypt Cyber Heroes Hackathon 2026. A separate agreement with F5 will establish the F5 Training Academy at NTI and expand specialised training and practical opportunities for cybersecurity graduates.
The graduation highlights Egypt’s broader efforts to develop cybersecurity skills across different age groups while connecting technical education with certifications, employment opportunities, innovation and the country’s wider digital transformation agenda.
