ShieldNet
ENPL

About Fundacja ShieldNetIn formation

ShieldNet is run by Fundacja ShieldNet, a Polish non-profit foundation now being established. Once it is entered in the court register, the foundation will hold the ShieldNet standard, brand and materials, and run three programs: the ShieldNet Cybersecurity Framework, ShieldNet Education and ShieldNet Kids. This page explains why we exist, how the foundation will be governed, and how we stay free and independent.

Our three programs

Why ShieldNet exists

Most cybersecurity frameworks are written for large enterprises with security teams and budgets to match. Small and medium organizations run essential services too, often with none of that. They face the same rules, like NIS2, GDPR and the Cyber Resilience Act, and the same attackers, with far fewer resources. ShieldNet exists to close that gap. Our mission is to make good cybersecurity reachable for the organizations that hold up everyday life, by giving them a standard they can understand, adopt and prove, without a big budget or a consultant.

What we believe

  • Security should be reachable

    Good cybersecurity should not depend on the size of your budget. The barrier to entry should be low.

  • Plain language wins

    If people cannot understand a rule, they cannot follow it. We write for the people doing the work, not for specialists.

  • Open builds trust

    An open standard can be read, checked and improved by anyone. That openness is what makes it trustworthy.

  • Proportionate, not maximal

    The right amount of security matches your real risk and size. More is not always better.

How the foundation is governed

Each body has its own job, and no single person or body controls everything.

  • Management Board

    Runs the foundation day to day, manages ShieldNet Education and the Partner Program, and represents the foundation. It has three members.

  • Foundation Council

    Sets the direction of the ShieldNet standard and approves its content, appoints the Certification and Impartiality Committee, and must consent to key decisions about the foundation's intellectual property. Most of its members are independent.

  • ShieldNet Kids Program Council

    Sets the direction of ShieldNet Kids and approves its content. Its members are educators and child protection specialists, and it is independent of the Foundation Council.

  • Certification and Impartiality Committee

    Approves exam questions and pass marks and makes all certification decisions for individuals and organizations. In these decisions it is independent of the founder, the board and the Foundation Council.

Built-in safeguards

  • The standard and the ShieldNet brand cannot be sold, pledged or licensed exclusively without the agreement of the whole board, the founder and the relevant council.
  • A board member can be dismissed during the term only for a serious reason, and only with the consent of the Foundation Council.
  • The foundation cannot give up the open character of the standard or its education work for children.
Coming later

Our board and councils

The names of the members of the board and councils will be published here.

How ShieldNet stays free

The standard, its sector add-ons and annexes, the tools and the Core Training are free and published under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0. The foundation funds its work from exam and certification fees, partner and license fees, grants and donations. As a foundation, it cannot distribute profits to its founder or board members: all income goes back into its mission.

In plain terms, the standard is free, and the services around it pay for keeping it current.

We use AI openly

AI helps our small team analyse legislation, draft materials and translate content. People review everything we publish and make every certification decision.

How we use AI

Foundation details

Name
Fundacja ShieldNet w organizacji
Status
In formation, not yet entered in the National Court Register (KRS). We will publish the registration details here once the foundation is registered.
Email
contact@shieldnet.eu

ShieldNet is an independent, open standard. It is not an official government or EU standard, and it does not imply endorsement by any public body.

Get involved

There are three easy ways to start with ShieldNet. Read the standard, become a partner, or get in touch.

Contact us

Have a question about ShieldNet, the standard, training or certification? Send us a message and we will get back to you. You do not need a big project in mind, a simple question is welcome.

Prefer email? Write to us at contact@shieldnet.eu.