From Summer School Student to Cybersecurity Specialist at Booz Allen Hamilton

This year marks the 10^th edition of the International Cyber Security Summer School (ICSSS) organised annually by Security Delta (HSD), in collaboration with NCI Agency, Europol, Leiden University, and several other HSD partners, including multi-year participant Booz Allen Hamilton. To learn more about the opportunities the programme can offer, we sat down with Luca Ferentinos, cybersecurity specialist at Booz Allen Hamilton in The Netherlands, and alumnus of the ICSSS.

During the week-long programme, 60 students and young professionals broaden their knowledge about cyber security through wide array of lectures and challenges on the most current issues and topics in the field of cyber security. Luca Ferentinos participated in the 2022 edition of the ICSSS, when he was still a student at Leiden University pursuing a master’s degree in Crisis and Security Management.

Ferentinos chose the Booz Allen challenge during the ICSSS, in which a group of students was tasked with developing a threat map for a fictional client, to assist them in securing their intellectual property. Winning the challenge with the Booz Allen team was one of the highlights of the week for him, and he stayed in contact with the team afterwards.

Cyber Security from Multiple Perspectives

When asked about his experiences, he shared: “One of the opportunities I found very valuable was to get a real look in the kitchen of all these different organisations, which is very different from approaching cyber security from a purely academic perspective. Being able to visit these organisations with other participants from many different backgrounds was very inspiring and really put into focus the networking opportunities of the ICSSS.”

Participating in the ICSSS gave Ferentinos valuable connections and a clearer perspective of where he wanted to take his career. “I stayed in touch with the mentor of the Booz Allen challenge during the ICSSS and kept an eye on his professional activity. When I saw a job opening at Booz Allen, I instantly knew this was the company I wanted to work for due to their mission to protect critical infrastructure. Through my connection with my mentor, I got in touch with the person who is now my career manager at Booz Allen.”

Networking and Valuable Knowledge

Networking is an important part of the ICSSS, with many activities focused on it taking place during the week. From social drinks to dinners in the evening, the students are stimulated to really get to know one another, and forge lasting ties. “I met a great friend of mine during the ICSSS”, Ferentinos explains, “and I still keep up with the rest of the students through LinkedIn and other social media. That way we stay up to date on one another’s careers, and are still able to share knowledge, even years later.”

Aside from the challenges and social events, the ICSSS also features several workshops and lectures by HSD partners on a variety of subjects. For example, Ferentinos took a lot away from the lectures provided by Leiden University and Chapter8, and learned a lot from the visit to the NATO Communications and Intelligence Agency (NCIA). “The NATO visit showed how challenging the cross-cultural communication can be when cooperating on large cyber operations”, he recounts. “You’re dealing with a lot of people from a number of different NATO countries, with unique communication styles and needs, that need to be considered if you want it to be successful.”

Ferentinos looks forward to contributing to this year’s ICSSS, this time from the perspective of a professional able to share his own insights. “To all prospective students I would say, definitely do it! You get a great understanding of what cybersecurity looks like from the point of view of different organisations. No matter your background, there will be something in this programme to appeal to you. I got in touch with so many interesting organisations, and the ICSSS is a great opportunity to make good connections (or even friends) and learn something new.”

This year’s ICSSS is taking place 17-22 August 2025 in The Hague. Interested in participating or learning more? Visit the ICSSS website: https://summerschoolcybersecurity.org/.