Cybersecurity today protects far more than computers. It underpins the functioning of banks, hospitals, businesses, cities, and the digital services we rely on every day. And in this field, South Moravia holds a strong position: from Brno and its surroundings, companies are emerging that protect bank accounts, internet connections, sensitive data, and technologies deployed across the globe.
Cyberattacks are faster, more sophisticated, and cheaper than ever before. Generative AI allows attackers to automate phishing, create convincing deepfake content, and probe vulnerabilities in a matter of minutes.
On the other side stands the European NIS2 directive, compelling thousands of organisations – from hospitals and manufacturers to cloud service providers – to take cybersecurity seriously. A regulation that at first glance looks like a burden is, in reality, the biggest open opportunity the cybersecurity sector has seen in a decade. And this is precisely where Brno enters the picture.
Its backbone is Brno University of Technology, and in particular FIT VUT. The NES@FIT and ANT@FIT research groups are among Brno's most prominent teams in network technologies, monitoring, and security; Security@FIT advances research in IT security; and BUT Speech@FIT builds expertise in speech processing – from speech recognition to speaker identification. These are technologies with direct applications in detecting fraudulent calls and voice biometrics.
This research didn't stay in the lab: companies such as Flowmon, Netcope Technologies, and Phonexia grew out of the FIT VUT environment and its collaborative networks. Masaryk University adds another dimension – strong computer science, but also a legal perspective on cyberspace. Cybersecurity is not purely a technical problem.
At the start of 2025, these three companies together attracted nearly €40 million in investment rounds.
On the other side stands the European NIS2 directive, compelling thousands of organisations – from hospitals and manufacturers to cloud service providers – to take cybersecurity seriously. A regulation that at first glance looks like a burden is, in reality, the biggest open opportunity the cybersecurity sector has seen in a decade. And this is precisely where Brno enters the picture.
Why Brno Is No Accidental Player
Brno's cybersecurity ecosystem didn't emerge overnight. It is built on academic research stretching back decades.Its backbone is Brno University of Technology, and in particular FIT VUT. The NES@FIT and ANT@FIT research groups are among Brno's most prominent teams in network technologies, monitoring, and security; Security@FIT advances research in IT security; and BUT Speech@FIT builds expertise in speech processing – from speech recognition to speaker identification. These are technologies with direct applications in detecting fraudulent calls and voice biometrics.
This research didn't stay in the lab: companies such as Flowmon, Netcope Technologies, and Phonexia grew out of the FIT VUT environment and its collaborative networks. Masaryk University adds another dimension – strong computer science, but also a legal perspective on cyberspace. Cybersecurity is not purely a technical problem.
Companies Defining the Next Generation of Protection
Research groups and university spin-offs are only part of the picture. Over the past two decades, investments exceeding €1.5 billion have flowed into Brno's cybersecurity companies – a figure that speaks for itself about what this region has built.A strong concentration of expertise, today represented by approximately 1,500 cybersecurity specialists, attracts and sustains independent companies. They were able to grow in this region because they found what they needed here: technical talent, partners, and an environment where security is taken seriously. An environment that – as reflected in the Czech Republic’s top ranking in international cybersecurity comparisons – has not gone unnoticed on the international stage. 
Three successful Brno-based companies illustrate just how varied – and deliberate – approaches to cybersecurity can be.
- Whalebone protects at the DNS level – before malicious traffic ever reaches a device. No installation, no complex integration. A direct answer to the explosion of IoT devices. Today it is on track to protect 1.6 billion users; for 2026 it has set a target of 700% growth, and its Innovator of the Year award confirms this is a trajectory backed by results, not just ambition.
- ThreatMark analyses behavioural patterns in banking applications, detecting in real time the anomalies that signal fraud or account takeover. It cannot be bypassed by password theft or phishing. Its ScamFlag solution, which takes this approach into the fight against targeted fraud, won the European AI Award.
- Safetica addresses insider risk – combining DLP with user behaviour analytics to help organisations protect data from within and demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements.
At the start of 2025, these three companies together attracted nearly €40 million in investment rounds.
A Magnet for Global Cybersecurity
Global companies are not drawn to Brno as a low-cost outpost. Gen Digital – the successor to Avast –maintains strong development capabilities here. SolarWinds, Jamf, ESET, and Progress all have Brno teams that are not back-office support, but the product development core behind solutions deployed worldwide. Progress underlined this with its acquisition of Flowmon Networks; Dynatrace expanded its presence through the acquisition of Runecast Solutions. And since 2025, Brno has also been home to the OpenSSL Software Foundation – the organisation behind one of the world's most widely used cryptographic libraries.Cybersecurity as a Regional Strategic Priority
The South Moravian Region has made a deliberate bet on cybersecurity. The sector holds a firm place in the Regional Innovation Strategy. The ambition is clear: to shorten the path between research and its practical application. Spin-offs such as Flowmon and Phonexia show it can be done, even if the journey is rarely straightforward.
