Cyber Security: how can we protect ourselves?

Cybercriminals, activists and spies have invested heavily in meeting their bad intents. Citizens, companies and governments are working together to build a secure society. But can we actually build a secure digital environment and is our government taking responsibility?

Our society is more and more dependent on our digital networks. A number of actors like cybercriminals, activists, spies and even foreign defense organizations have invested heavily in meeting their bad intents. We have seen the Iranian government targeting the Dutch Company Diginotar which ended in the first formal Cybercrisis in the Netherlands. On the other hand one 17 year old scholar was able to ‘take over’ the network of KPN. Citizens, companies and governments are working together to build a resilient secure society. But can we actually build a secure digital environment and is our government taking responsibility and the right actions?

Ronald Prins is director and co-founder of Fox-IT. The company plays a crucial role in Dutch cyber security, developing products for the protection of state secrets, investigating integrity violations and fraud offenses and supporting government and businesses to keep their digital environments secure. Fox-IT recently played a role in the DigiNotar incident and the hacking of KPN.
Ronald studied applied mathematics and went on to specialize in cryptography at the Delft University of Technology. As a scientific researcher at the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), he gained recognition by breaking codes on cryptographic security systems encountered by law enforcement in criminal investigations.

Kees de Vey Mestdagh, head of the Law and IT department at the University of Groningen, will argue that governments and companies are unable to protect us against cybercrime. The power is in the user’s hands.

Interesting links:
Vrij Nederland.nl: Ronald Prins - De geheimen van een supertapper
Pauw en Witteman.Vara.nl: Ronald Prins  - De beveiliging van de Nederlandse Overheid
Sociale Vraagstukken.nl: Kees de Vey Mestdagh - Overheid kán burgers niet beschermen op het internet
Ejure.nl: Kees de Vey Mestdagh - NSA onthullingen opnieuw geen nieuws