Thales and vanderVoort Cyber Security on Their Choice for HSD Campus

The number of companies, governments, and knowledge institutions based in the HSD Campus is growing rapidly and steadily. Since its opening on 13 February 2014, the HSD Campus has welcomed 12 Triple Helix partners to its premises. Thales and vanderVoort Cyber Security are among the tenants.

Thales: "Crossing the innovation gap together"
Thales Nederland is the Dutch branch of the international Thales Group. The Thales Group (more than 65,000 employees of which more than 25,000 engineers) carries out activities in Aerospace, Space, Security, Defense, and Transportation. Developing and delivering high tech solutions for all kinds of mission-critical systems the group is widely known by government organisations. The general public comes across Thales in payment security of credit card transactions, Air Traffic Control centres, camera surveillance in The Louvre, and in The Netherlands, by using the OV chip card allowing to travel with all kinds of public transport by using one ticket/payment system. Emerging activities are often security related: both in the cyber and the physical security domain.

Adrian Smits, Business Development Director says: “The essence of the security challenge is to understand a risk or threat as multifaceted, which requires a preventive action and/or response. That response has to involve a multitude of relevant actors that work together (multidisciplinary) in an efficient and effective way. The aspect of multidisciplinarity proves to be a limiting factor for the security organisations in finding innovative security solutions. Hence, market failure for both operational users and for the developers of innovative solutions. The Hague Security Delta, being the National Security Cluster, brings together all disciplines from the operational user side and the research institutes and industries (the Triple Helix) in order to cross the 'innovation gap' together. Listening to the operational users, working together with researchers and meeting the security policymakers is of utmost importance for Thales Nederland to develop its security products and services. The HSD Campus is for all security professionals in The Netherlands 'the place to be'."

Smits continues: "As an HSD founding partner, Thales Nederland decided to transfer its The Hague office from the Koninginnegracht to the HSD Campus. The security-related business development, research coordination and projects of Thales Nederland are all managed at these new facilities, very efficiently near our partners. Working on the same premises leads to more cooperation, and that is a two way street: we deliver value to our partners and receive lots of value in return.’’

vanderVoort Cyber Security: "THE place to meet for all security professionals"
vanderVoort Cyber Security is a consultancy firm specialised in helping industrial clients with the cyber security of their industrial control systems. vanderVoort Cyber Security has clients in diverse fields, such as power generation, power distribution, oil and gas industry, chemicals production, food production, wastewater treatment, and the pharmaceutical industry. Cyber attacks on these types of clients could potentially have disastrous effects. Apart from very high costs associated with loss of production and loss of public image, cyber risks to these industrial environments could have direct consequences for human safety, environmental safety, and even national security.

vanderVoort Cyber Security is experienced in applying a wide range of security concepts to the unique requirements of these industrial automation environments, covering the complete industrial automation systems ranging from field instrumentation up to and including integration with enterprise-wide applications. The service portfolio includes quick scan, compliance audit, vulnerability and risk assessments, policy development, implementation of security measures and controls, RFI/RFP and SAT support, training, and explosives attack threat management.

“Joining the HSD Campus was in a way inevitable,“ says Managing Director Xander van der Voort. "Cyber Security, especially in the industrial sector cannot be achieved in splendid isolation. At this moment in time the cyber threats and threat agents are developing faster than cyber security efforts in the industrial sector. We are therefore in need of constant innovation of cost-effective strategies, tactics and technology for cyber security. To accelerate this innovation, vanderVoort Cyber Security is a strong proponent of knowledge sharing and cooperation between all parties involved in the security field, such as clients, vendors, research and education, and governmental agencies. It is also working with the Cyber Security Academy, also on campus, to incorporate the latest practical experience in industrial cyber security into the curriculum."

According to Xander van der Voort, HSD Campus is the place to meet with customers, potential clients, partners and the whole diverse security field. “Cyber Security is there to share knowledge on cyber security and add it’s practical experience with the industrial sector to the mix of expertise that is available for innovative security solutions.”

Overview of residents at the HSD Campus

Interested?
Would you like to join the HSD Campus or receive more information? Businesses, governments and research institutions can still apply and register for offices - temporary or permanent -, work stations, meeting rooms, and training and lab facilities that are available to let. For more information, please contact Mr. E. van der Rijt of the Municipality of The Hague: +31 (0)70 353 77 90 or erik.vanderrijt@denhaag.nl.