Digital infiltration by Russian hackers and cyber (counter) espionage by the AIVD, DDos attacks on banks and the tax authorities, continuing discussions about the introduction of ‘de sleepwet’. Just a sample of headlines and messages in the social media from recent days. The rapidly progressing digitisation of society evidently requires qualified experts to be able to deal with the related threats, opportunities dilemmas and risks. On 8 February, a second cohort of Master of Science (MSc) students in Cyber Security - an initiative by the Cyber Security Academy - graduated. The ceremony took place at the HSD Campus.
Professionals (computer scientists, lawyers, policy makers) from a variety of public and private organisations celebrate their successful completion of the innovative and multidisciplinary master programme, with a seminar and a ceremony of celebration.
Inspirational learning environment
With a visionary foresight Leiden University, Delft University of Technology and The Hague University of Applied Sciences combined their knowledge and expertise in education for professionals in the field in the Cyber Security Academy (CSA) in The Hague several years ago. By sharing their experience and knowledge with experts and lecturers from the professional field (such as KPN, Deloitte, NCTV/NCSC, Fox-IT, Rabobank and others), an inspirational learning environment has been created. The CSA is an initiative of the municipality of The Hague.
“The programme integrated our daily, practical security issues with academic theory and provided a platform to discuss these issues with fellow students in a trusted and open environment.”
Esther van Luit, Cyber Risk Services Junior Manager @ Deloitte UK & Deloitte Netherlands
Integral approach
The integral approach in this master’s programme teaches the participants to interconnect technical, legal, and social scientific aspects of cyber security, in order to enable them to contribute to effective and sustainable strategies for digital defensibility and security of society as a whole, including organisations and citizens.
Innovative insights and solutions
During the seminar in the morning, on the basis of a number of recently completed master theses, innovative insights and solutions for cyber security challenges were shared with fellow students, teachers and cyber experts. How could a Unified Kill Chain contribute to the fight against cyber attacks? What is the potential of artificial intelligence for entering into and resolving existing and emerging cyber security challenges? How can we broaden our perspective on cyber security risk management and what does the arrival of quantum computers mean for the sustainability of encryption techniques used worldwide in financial transactions, for example, and how can we prepare for these changes?
Socially relevant
These cyber security challenges are a selection from a wide range of cyber security issues that have been studied in the last six months of the MSc programme Cyber Security. These concern cyber security research that results in a final thesis, almost without exception related to a socially relevant subject and often making use of a new scientific approach. For example, analysing the increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks can be simplified by applying the new concept of the Unified Kill Chain. By contrasting the potencies of artificial intelligence on the one hand and the necessary competences of all types of cyber security specialists on the other, it was possible to analyse which tasks can be taken over in the short term and which in the longer term by smart AI applications. A different study resulted in an innovative model for integrated cyber risk management in increasingly complex cyber-physical systems as they are being used in critical infrastructures and industries.
For more information on the ceremony and the master programme click here.
The Executive Master’s Programme Cyber Security is a prime example of how the qualitative discrepancy on the Cyber Security labour market, as identified in the Human Capital Actieagenda Cyber Security, can be tackled.
