OT Dinner 2026: Protecting Our Crown Jewels

What do Rijkswaterstaat’s critical infrastructure and the Girl with a Pearl Earring have in common? Both are crown jewels that need protection.

This was one of the themes running through the fifth edition of the OT Coalition’s OT Dinner, which brought together around 70 OT cybersecurity specialists at the magnificent Mauritshuis in The Hague, on the evening before the ONE Conference.

Hosted by Jessica Maes, the evening offered a varied programme combining expert insights, practical experiences and plenty of room for connection.

Protecting critical infrastructure

Jan Joost Bierhoff from the NCSC opened the evening by highlighting why OT resilience is an increasingly urgent and international challenge. As operational technology plays a crucial role in critical infrastructure, strengthening its resilience requires close cooperation and knowledge sharing across organisations and sectors.

The focus then shifted to Rijkswaterstaat. Mauriche Kroos and Sebastiaan S. shared insights into the organisation’s digital and operational “crown jewels” and the projects underway to further strengthen their resilience.

Protecting cultural heritage

The setting of the evening provided a fitting perspective on the same challenge from a completely different angle. Judith Niessen, Head of Collections at the Mauritshuis, offered a fascinating glimpse into the security measures protecting the museum’s own crown jewels.

She also shared the story behind the temporary loan and transport of Girl with a Pearl Earring to Japan, providing a unique insight into the procedures and security measures involved in moving one of the Netherlands’ most famous works of art.

New regulation for OT professionals

Regulation was another important topic during the evening. Floris Hendriks from the Inspectorate for Digital Infrastructure (RDI) provided an update on the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and its implications for organisations and OT professionals.

His contribution highlighted the growing importance of understanding and preparing for new cybersecurity requirements, particularly as digital and operational technologies become increasingly interconnected.

Knowledge, connection and a little competition

True to tradition, the evening concluded with the now-famous OT Pub Quiz, hosted by Marcel Jutte and Jessica Maes. Participants put their OT knowledge and general knowledge to the test, with plenty of humour along the way.

The OT Dinner once again demonstrated the value of bringing the OT community together: sharing knowledge, connecting expertise, and working together to strengthen OT resilience.

A big thank you to all speakers, participants, and everyone involved in making this fifth edition of the OT Dinner a success!