Cybersecurity Talent From All Over Europe Get Bootcamp in The Hague

55 young cybersecurity talents from all over Europe will come together this week at The Hague University of Applied Sciences for a 3-day cybersecurity bootcamp. This special training will allow the talents to qualify for the European team, which will compete against global teams in June 2022 at the ENISA International Cybersecurity Challenge (Cyber World Cup) in Athens.

During the bootcamp training, the talents from 17 countries will not only work on their technical skills but also on their ethical compass and social skills, such as teambuilding and personal leadership. The group of talents between the ages of 18 and 25 is given the opportunity to increase their knowledge and expand their network. Four participants are from the Netherlands. Following the bootcamp, the European team will be selected based on their technical and social skills.

The Hague deputy mayor Saskia Bruines has opened the bootcamp. ‘’As international city of Peace, Justice and Security, The Hague is an important cybersecurity hub in Europe. We are honored to welcome these cyber talents. Together with businesses, governments and knowledge institutions, the city of the Hague and Security Delta (HSD) are committed to contribute to secure our digitising society. Therefore, we need to invest in cyber security talents. Because the current demand is enormous and will only increase in the future.”

Sanne Maasakkers, security specialist at the NCSC: "With this bootcamp, we want to encourage young talent for a career in cybersecurity and invest in their skill level. During the programme they work on a forensic investigation case, there is a live Capture the Flag competition, and they learn about responsible disclosure and ethics. As a coach of the team, I am also very proud on the fact that 15 female talents are participating in the bootcamp this year."

Diederik Bakker, Student University of Twente: "I was once drawn to a Capture the Flag competition by a fellow student. I could never have imagined what kind of world existed behind it and how much that ultimately added to my development. That experience, meeting the right people and a lot of practice led to participation in the Dutch team at the European Cyber Security challenge and now even the chance to qualify for team Europe. I have learned a lot within the programme of the bootcamps that are organised, and perhaps even more from the peers who are brought together from different countries in Europe. It is even more fun to meet everyone in The Hague and see how well we are welcomed by the Dutch government, educational institutions, and companies. 

The bootcamp is organised by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the National Cybersecurity Centre (NCSC) and the Hague University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with the municipality of The Hague and Security Delta (HSD). Experts from the NCSC, Certified Secure, ENISA, Europol, Hunt & Hackett, Outsider Security and municipality of The Hague provide the substantive programme. 

The participants are from Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Malta, Norway, Slovenia and Slovakia.

Learn more about the International Cybersecurity Challenge in Athens: https://ecsc.eu/icc/ and click here to read the full article in Dutch.