The NCI Agency last week welcomed promising students to its premises as part of a wider effort to train the next generation of cyber defenders.
Around 60 talented students visited the Agency in The Hague, Netherlands, on 24 August 2017, to learn about NATO's unique cybersecurity challenges and responses.
The students were taking part in the third edition of the International Cyber Security Summer School 2017 (ICSSS17) – an event jointly organized by the Agency, the Hague Security Delta together with Europol, the Dutch Defence Cyber Command, Leiden University and the Dutch Innovation Factory.
Michael Street, Innovation Manager at the NCI Agency, commented: "We instigated the ICSSS in 2015 and we were pleased to get a very positive response from other international bodies in the Hague, who immediately came on board.
The ICSSS has grown year on year, and has proved a success. There is a shortage of skilled cyber security professionals and as the past 12 months have shown, cyber-attacks affect us all and can cause chaos so there is urgent and critical need to train the next generation of cyber defenders."
Building networks
The ICSSS aims to form a network of knowledgeable students, who understand the importance of cyber security for international organizations. The school helps prepare them for the challenges of cyber security in these complex environments.
"The International Cyber Security Summer School kicked off with a simulated crisis at Amsterdam Airport and ended with our team projects on password policies, dark web and quantification of cyber risk. It was an enriching experience between law and technology, gathering passionate students and reputed practitioners. I am grateful to the organisers," said student Valentia Vecchio, ICSSS17.
Students were challenged to work on new solutions that contribute to making the internet a more secure place. The programme is comprehensive and addresses technical, legal and policy issues.
Richard Franken, Executive Director The Hague Security Delta, added: " Without the influx of new young talent our digital safety is at risk. Aside from that the IT sector is growing rapidly. The newly created jobs need to be filled. Not just by the numbers but also with the experience to match the required knowledge. This is why educational programmes like this summer school are so important."
The ICSSS is a small part of the NCI Agency's cyber security training, part of which will soon be provided at the NCI Academy in Oeiras, Portugal.