Joining forces for a resilient cyber world!
The CISO community provides a platform for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and cybersecurity professionals in the Netherlands. By bringing together the top talents in the sector, we will be able to share knowledge, exchange experiences, and work together with the ultimate goal of increasing cyber awareness and cyber resilience in a quick-moving digital world.
Why do we need a CISO community?
Cyber-attacks can have far-reaching consequences. Even a minor privacy breach can jeopardize a company’s survival, due to legal consequences and negative media attention.
Meanwhile, digitization continues at full speed, and companies have to evolve just as fast. This is causing a shift in leaders’ opinions on security – and a corresponding change in thinking about the CISO’s role.
Over the years, the CISO role has grown and matured fast under the CIO’s wings and is now starting to stand on its own two feet by reporting directly to the board. The role can be demanding and requires professionals to combine hard and soft skills to meet requirements from many parties. Looking at all these challenges, a network of cybersecurity professionals can be extremely helpful.
Therefore, we are creating a dedicated CISO community. Our community aims to reposition cybersecurity in the boardroom, contribute to knowledge development, stimulate the conversation between relevant stakeholders, and create a cybersecurity domain ecosystem that helps security providers shape their roadmaps.
On this platform, we will expand the successful Highly Resilience Organizations (HRO) program, which relies on organizations operating at the highest cybersecurity level. We are also working on setting up an annual CISODAY, which will include the election of the CISO of the Year. In addition, a members-only environment will be created to exchange tips and knowledge securely.
By bringing together the top talents in cybersecurity, we aim to share knowledge, provide tools, and work together to accelerate the shift to a more secure digital world.
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NEWSLETTER
Experience groups
CISO positioning & governance
Leadership is essential to developing effective cybersecurity strategies and policies. Organizations need to rethink and future-proof their cyber operating models and governance structures.
Talent & skills
The cybersecurity sector needs to address workforce shortages, but it also has an opportunity to accelerate the development of essential skills. ‘Old and wise’ experts can collaborate with ‘young and ambitious’ professionals. This group includes anything that helps build a resilient talent pool.
Competencies
The CISO’s role is broad. Technical knowledge and management skills for operations and business are essential, as are personal competencies such as soft skills, communication skills, leadership, and stakeholder management. “Infinite game skills” and a stoic mindset are useful as well.
Business continuity
Essential to ensure the resilience and operational integrity of an organization after a cyber attack or other disruption, business continuity involves preparation for and restoration of business operations. The integration of offensive and defensive cyber models and strategies is important here.
Innovation
New technologies, strategies, and ways of thinking to improve security and stay proactive are the focus here. These are crucial to the evolution and effectiveness of cybersecurity, given rapid technological advances and the ever-changing nature of threats.
Technology
Technology plays an essential role in cybersecurity. Cyber threats are evolving rapidly. Areas of technology that are fundamental to the protection of information systems and infrastructure is the focus of his group.
“The digital transition could pose a threat to our society. With more processes being online, our attack surface increases too.”
Recent articles
CIOs and CISOs: managing tensions and working together effectively
Offensive cyber ops continue to increase, MIVD calls for adequate mandate, legal revisions
“Government action against ransomware necessary”
CIOs and CISOs: managing tensions and working together effectively
CIOs and CISOs on the pros and cons they see in the CISO reporting to the CIO vs. working as peers, ways of effectively addressing the tension, and the governance standards needed for cybersecurity framework to align with organizational goals and industry security requirements.
Offensive cyber ops continue to increase, MIVD calls for adequate mandate, legal revisions
The Netherlands remains an important target for Russian cyberoperations, and threats are only increasing, the Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD) mentioned in its yearly report. The Service calls for an adequate mandate so it can effectively carry out the necessary investigations against these offensive cyber programs.
“Government action against ransomware necessary”
The government should actively support the business community in the fight against cybercrime through targeted measures such as investment deductions and reduced VAT rates for security services.
Open-source software supply chain attacks are on the rise – but they’re mainly our own fault
The recently discovered XZ Utils backdoor has highlighted the vulnerabilities in open-source software. However, although open-source software supply chain attacks have tripled since 2019, most of them are easily preventable.
One third Dutch companies susceptible to data breaches due to poor compliance
More than a third of all Dutch companies failed a compliance audit in the past 12 months. As a result, they are ten times more likely to suffer a data breach. Ten percent of Duch companies became victim of a ransomware attack. Of all those, four percent paid a ransom.
Eight cybersecurity predictions for this year (and beyond)
In March, Gartner revealed its cybersecurity predictions for 2024 and beyond. Its analysts believe generative AI (GenAI) adoption will close the cybersecurity skills gap and reduce employee-driven cybersecurity incidents. They also predict that two-thirds of global 100 organizations will extend directors and officers insurance to cybersecurity leaders due to personal legal exposure.
A cyber-samurai in the digital dojo…
In the serene yet potent ethos of ancient Japan, where the discipline of Budo, the martial way, was not merely about combat but a profound journey towards self-mastery, integrity, and the protection of one’s community, we find surprising parallels to the modern role of a CISO in the realm of critical infrastructure.
The Great Reset – Why we haven’t yet seen the end of the Big Tech layoffs
After seeing two years of post-pandemic economic downturn and massive layoffs in the tech sector, recovery seemed to be on the radar for 2024. However, jobs continue to be impacted. But in the cybersecurity industry the shift to AI and low interest rates, that facilitate finding capital, have led to an increase in hiring.
Two thirds of employees gamble with security
Over two-thirds of Dutch employees knowingly put the organization at risk, leading to ransomware or malware infections, data breaches or financial loss. More than four in five of the organizations surveyed experienced at least one successful attack by 2023.
Government launches NIS2 Quick Scan
On February 29, the central government launched the NIS2 Quick Scan that allows organizations to prepare for the new European NIS2 directive. This directive is aimed at increasing the digital resilience of companies and organizations in the EU.