Mapping Trends in Cyber Crisis Management and Resilience with Third HSD Expert Session

On 6 July, HSD Office continued its programming on cyber incident crisis management and cyber resilience for SMEs. In 2020 HSD Office kicked off the theme of managing crisis’s with an Expert Session in which multiple experts came together to discuss topics regarding information management and training exercises. This session gave rise to organising a second Expert Session focusing on research regarding to cyber crises and their exercises in January 2021. Now in July we have had our third Expert Session focusing on collaborating to map trends in cyber crisis management as well as on SME cyber resilience. 

During this session, several experts came together to discuss collaboration to monitor trends in cyber crisis management, as well as participation in the upcoming 'HSD Academy'. Participants were TNO, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Pandora Intelligence, AIG, the municipality of the Hague and Scenarios4Summits. 

The importance of sharing knowledge and experiences on this topic, and especially on the topic of cyber incidents, was quickly noted by all the participants. Deep interest in the outcomes of any such research into larger trends in the field on the efficiency of certain training models and crisis governance structures was also expressed. The need for rigorous academic research quickly became clear and is a logical and likely next goal for HSD Office. 

SMEs

The experts agreed that when it comes to Cyber resilience and awareness for small and medium enterprises that there are many universal challenges left to tackle. The heterogenous nature of SMEs makes it difficult to construct a single message that will reach this diverse group of organisations scattered across industries and sectors. Due to their smaller size most, if not all, of their digital services are outsourced. This causes the topic of cyber resilience to be perceived as an issue for the ICT service provider, rather than the entrepreneurs themselves. 

Whilst cyber incidents feature prominently in the media, these stories do not relate to the experience of SME’s, leaving them unable to relate these cyber incidents to their organisations. Generally, this leaves SMEs with a low level of awareness, thus exemplifying the need to find, develop and promote a role model to act as a vanguard for this group. Awareness needs to be combined with behavioural change if it is to lead to enhanced cyber resilience.

Follow-up

From the lessons learned and experiences that were shared by the participants we found ample space for collaboration. Follow-up discussion on the HSD Academy will be communicated about.

Follow-up meetings on the topic of cyber crisis management will be planned throughout the year to discuss these matters and potential collaboration in further detail. Are you interested to join these meetings? Please contact Saskia Noordewier via saskia.Noordewier@thehaguesecuritydelta.com

If you are interested in collaborating on the topic of cyber resilience and awareness for SME’s, please contact Geraldine Beckers via geraldine.beckers@thehaguesecuritydelta.com.