New Wiener Neustadt course trains experts to investigate cybercrime

ORF reports that a new course at the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt is training specialists to detect and combat hacker attacks on companies and public institutions in Lower Austria.

The need for cybercrime investigators became clear in February 2025, when a hacker attack paralysed Tulln town hall. The citizen service centre could no longer access its own servers, and all data had been encrypted.

“Developments in cybercrime are very dynamic. Law enforcement agencies have major problems finding the right people,” said Michael Fischer, head of the university’s Faculty of Security. He said higher education institutions therefore also needed to be involved.

The two-semester “Cyber Crime Investigation” course covers all aspects of computer-assisted crime. Its content was developed in close coordination with the police.

Participants learn how to protect computer systems, how perpetrators operate and how to secure digital evidence. The course also includes simulations of real hacker attacks.

It is aimed at career changers as well as financial investigators, the Austrian Armed Forces’ cyber-defence personnel, specialised prosecutors and judges. Participants include cybercrime investigators and digital forensic specialists from across Austria.

Technical lecturer Jürgen Lorenz said graduates needed to understand the architecture of an attack, from its origins through analysis and the establishment of evidence. The work involved extensive digital forensics, he said, rather than detailed knowledge of specific tools.

After completing the course, participants may use the designation academically certified cybercrime expert. They could help investigate attacks such as the one on Tulln town hall or prevent them from happening.