iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

We have two exciting updates, both centred on The Hague, Netherlands. #1 We're now a proud member of The Hague Humanity Hub, a community focused on peace & justice. Looking forward to connecting with fellow members as we do more education & policy engagement in NL & across EU.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 21h

Our 2nd Ironmonger House Talk in London asks: Who should govern AI? Drawing on her book 'The Tech Coup' & experience in the European Parliament and at Stanford, Marietje Schaake examines Big Tech’s growing power and Europe’s choices. 📅 4 Nov | 12:30 GMT Register: virtual-routes.org/event/who-go...

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Virtual Routes is also on Substack, where we share accessible cybersecurity resources, practical guidance & opportunities for nonprofits as part of our Cybersecurity Services Centre. Subscribe to our Substack and read our latest Monthly Cyber & Tech Digest here: virtualroutes.substack.com

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

#2 Next week, on 6-7 October, you’ll also find us at the ONE Conference at the World Forum The Hague. Feel free to visit our talent booth to say hello and learn more about our talent development programs!

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Seven student-built ransomware-defence projects are now available to explore and use at no cost. Created during five intensive Bootcamp days in Amsterdam, the resources support municipalities, non-profits and SMEs with limited security capacity. Explore: virtual-routes.org/ransomware-d...

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

What happens in the first 24h of a ransomware attack?Join us in Berlin for an interactive crisis simulation, no technical background required. 📅 12 Oct | 12:30-15:00 CEST 📍 Invalidenstraße 73 Berlin Designed for nonprofit representatives Register: programm.berlin-social-academy.de/b?p=geb4fe

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Our first Ironmonger House Talk in London: join Hanna Notte & @keirgiles.bsky.social on 19 Oct for a book conversation on Russian hybrid warfare & Moscow’s confrontation with the West, moderated by the Financial Times' Charles Clover. Places are limited. Register: virtual-routes.org/event/moscow...

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Say hello to Alejandra Albert Muñoz (Alex), who joins Virtual Routes as our Project and Research Officer. Having already contributed to the launch of VIRO Learning earlier this year, she will continue supporting the platform alongside a wider range of Virtual Routes activities.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Our new online live course: The Geopolitics of Digital Infrastructure (Oct-Dec 2026). 8 weekly sessions with expert lecturers. Open for students, recent graduates, and early-career professionals from any academic backgrounds. Learn more & apply: virtual-routes.org/the-geopolit...

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

We’re pleased to welcome 30 scholars from institutions across Europe to the 2026 European Cybersecurity PhD Accelerator cohort. Their research spans the technical, legal, policy, and economic dimensions of cybersecurity. We look forward to working with this outstanding group of scholars!

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Amidst the bustle of Berlin in summer, cybersecurity lawyer and member of the Bundestag Jeanne Dillschneider warns of the risks of uncritical AI adoption, romanticising technological adoption, and political siloisation. virtual-routes.org/ai-over-lunc...

virtual-routes.org

AI over Lunch: Jeanne Dillschneider - Virtual Routes

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

What has the war in Ukraine taught us about cyber operations? In this VIRO Learning explainer series, Virtual Routes Co-Director Max Smeets examines Russia’s cyber operations in Ukraine & what they reveal about the role and limits of cyber capabilities in modern warfare. youtu.be/PhABGlNHxzI?...

youtu.be

Intro: Lessons from Russian Cyber Operations in Ukraine | Max Smeets | VIRO Learning

YouTube video by Virtual Routes

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

New webinar | Spot the Scam: Protecting Community Organizations from Digital Fraud In this practical webinar, we'll explore how to recognise the warning signs and the simple steps everyone can take to help prevent digital fraud Learn more & register: virtual-routes.org/event/spot-t...

virtual-routes.org

Spot the Scam: Protecting Community Organizations from Digital Fraud - Virtual Routes

This free, non-technical webinar will help staff, volunteers, and trustees understand why community organizations are targeted and how to recognise the warning signs before fraud occurs.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

The third edition of Monthly Cyber & Tech Digest for #nonprofits & impact driven organizations is out. This month's edition highlights how attackers are finding new ways into organizations beyond the traditional phishing email. Read the full digest: virtualroutes.substack.com/p/monthly-cy...

virtualroutes.substack.com

Monthly Cyber & Tech Digest #03

Cybersecurity and tech updates for nonprofits, charities, and other community organizations - without the technical jargon.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

University of Milan & Fondazione Mondo Digitale ETS: "Thank you for such a thoughtful closing panel on AI, cybersecurity, and the skills gap. Grateful for sharing what the program meant for the schools and the team at FMD ETS for coordinating." virtual-routes.org/virtual-rout...

virtual-routes.org

Virtual Routes at "Shape the Future": AI, Cybersecurity, and the Skills Gap at Università degli Studi di Milano

On 7 July 2026, YuYing Mak, Project Officer at Virtual Routes, joined a panel discussion at the Università degli Studi di Milano (UniMi) as part of the Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars Program closin...

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv: "It's an honour to open the hybrid closing ceremony, celebrating not just this cohort, but the program's full run at TSNUK: 207 students trained & 226 LCOs supported across both cohorts." virtual-routes.org/second-cohor...

virtual-routes.org

Second Cohort Completes the Cybersecurity Seminars Program at National University of Kyiv

YuYing Mak, Project Officer at Virtual Routes, delivered the opening address of the closing ceremony of the Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars Program at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (T...

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

UTCN, Romania: "It's an honour to join the jury for the top 10 final projects, ranged from zero-trust architecture to applied honeypot research. Great to see 43 students competed in the closing CTF with 2 papers already accepted for publication." virtual-routes.org/virtual-rout...

virtual-routes.org

Virtual Routes at the Closing Ceremony of the Cybersecurity Seminars Program at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca

YuYing Mak, Project Officer at Virtual Routes, attended the closing ceremony of the Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars Program at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (UTCN), Romania, marking the co...

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

It's been a milestone-filled few weeks for the google.org Cybersecurity Seminars Program. Our Project Officer, YuYing Mak, recently took part in three events across Europe & shares her insights from the trip.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Reflecting on our 1st 'Foundations of Cybersecurity and AI' course (April-June 2026), Program Coordinator Hannah-Sophie Weber shares four key observations from the 12-week course, exploring why understanding cybersecurity and AI requires moving beyond disciplinary silos.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

We're #hiring in #London: Executive Support & Research Officer The role: support the organization’s leadership in strategic & day-to-day activities, and contribute to research projects on topics including ransomware, military cyber ops, AI-cyber. Apply: virtual-routes.org/vacancies/ex...

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

(6/7) As AI becomes embedded in critical systems, understanding the security of the ecosystem behind it is becoming just as important as understanding the models themselves.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

(5/7) For #policymakers, this means AI #security can't be addressed solely through model regulation/post-deployment oversight. It requires attention to upstream dependencies, development practices, software supply-chain security, data governance, & the resilience of shared infrastructure

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

(4/7) Rather than treating AI as a standalone system, the report examines security risks across three levels of the supply chain: → Data → Model → Deployment Each presents different attack surfaces and policy challenges.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

(3/7) The report makes three central arguments: • Many AI security risks arise before deployment. • Scale and reuse amplify systemic risk. • Effective mitigation depends on visibility, control, and accountability.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

(2/7) #AI systems are built on a complex ecosystem of datasets, pre-trained models, software libraries, & infrastructure. These dependencies make AI development faster and more accessible. They also create systemic security risks that can propagate across many downstream systems.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

(1/7) Most discussions about AI security focus on what happens after deployment. But what if most significant security risks are introduced much earlier? Our new Pharos Report explores the security risks emerging across the AI ecosystem & why they matter for policy. 🧵A thread

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Thank you for being part of the discussion. It was great to explore this important topic together, and we appreciate your engagement throughout the workshop.

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Saher @saffronsec.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Thanks to @virtualroutes.bsky.social for hosting this fascinating and insightful workshop on commercial cyber proliferation! A revealing discussion with a walk through some of the darkest timelines

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

One conclusion stood out above all others: commercial cyber proliferation increasingly appears to be not a temporary market failure that can be regulated away, but an enduring characteristic of the emerging technological and #geopolitical landscape.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

5) The greatest long-term consequence of commercial cyber proliferation may not be cyber conflict, but democratic erosion.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

4) Artificial intelligence may benefit technological latecomers more than established cyber powers.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

3) Commercial cyber markets may increasingly fragment along geopolitical lines

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

2) The most plausible #AI future was not better #cyber capabilities—but many more cyber capabilities.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

1) Experts were pessimistic about the ability of #governance to shape the market.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

What will the market for commercial cyber capabilities look like in 5 years? To explore the question, we convened a group of experts from government, industry for a forecasting workshop as part of the Horizon Europe REMIT Research project. Here are the 5 expert predictions👇

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Beginning on 1 September 2026, participants will join online professional development sessions, followed by an in-person researcher retreat in Maastricht on 12–13 November to exchange ideas, build lasting connections, and foster future collaborations.

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Virtual Routes @virtualroutes.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

The European Cybersecurity PhD Accelerator is now open for applications, offering cybersecurity researchers an opportunity to strengthen the policy relevance, visibility, and impact of their work. Apply before 1 August. Limited places available. virtual-routes.org/european-cyb...

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