Editor | DCSP.nl

28 September 2022

Six Questions on Cybersecurity to… Nynke Brouwer

By Nynke Brouwer After 11 years, Nynke made the switch from Dirkzwager Legal & Tax to Stibbe, where she focuses on data protection, cybersecurity and cyber insurance. In the past few years she has investigated the functioning of cyber insurance on the Dutch market and published a book on the subject. We spoke with her about her book. Question 1) You have done at least four years of research to write this book. What was the starting point for your research and thus for writing this book? I started focusing on liability and insurance aspects of cyber risks quite early in my career. It quickly appeared to me that there was a great need for more knowledge about cyber risks in practice. I found the insurance aspects particularly interesting, because of the importance and urgency of properly insuring this risk and its complexity. When I started my research, legal literature on...

28 September 2022

in DCSP #12

by Editor

The Dutch DPA adding fuel to the fire

By Bernold Nieuwesteeg Brussels and the Dutch Council of State recently blew the whistle on the practices of the Dutch Data Protection Authority (hereafter: Dutch DPA). According to the European Commission and the Dutch Council of State, the Dutch DPA interpreted privacy legislation too strictly. It concerned a concrete case in which the Dutch DPA launched against Voetbal TV, a broadcast company for amateur football games. Voetbal TV went bankrupt after the imposition of the fine by the Dutch DPA. We could see this case coming for a long time. It confirms that the Dutch DPA is not executing privacy legislation, but instead sits on the chair of the legislator and chair of the judge. For years, the Dutch DPA, led by Aleid Wolfsen, has been drawing its own dogmatic plan and diverts from other European data protection authorities. This results in large social costs, which I will illustrate in...

28 September 2022

in DCSP #12

by Editor

The Scent of Wild Animals

By Roel van Rijsewijk Inspiring conversations with Sophie in ‘t Veld Fighting for the Power of Technology in the European Arena This time I had a conversation with Sophie in ‘t Veld who, as a D66 member of the European Parliament, has been fighting for the freedom and rights of Europeans for years. In this struggle, she regularly appears in the spotlight as a defender of our privacy in the digital age of tech giants and nosy governments. So of course that’s what I want to talk to her about. I have traveled to Brussels for this interview. After the necessary security checks, I meet her in a European Parliament canteen. Before I have properly installed the recording equipment and before I have even asked a question, she spontaneously starts talking about the digital developments that make her angry. “DATA MANIA!” By which she means the belief that the unlimited collection of loads of...

28 September 2022

in DCSP #12

by Editor

Big tech and education bite each other – column by Hans Schnitzler

By Hans Schnitzler In May of this year, Human Rights Watch published a study that barely received any media attention, but whose results would not have been out of place on the front page of an average newspaper. The human rights organization scrutinized 164 so-called ‘edutech’ products. These are digital applications for the classroom that promise to improve the quality of education and increase the teacher’s productivity. For example, there are all kinds of adaptive learning systems that enable teachers to follow the individual progress of their students. This should make it a lot easier to intervene in the learning process quickly and purposefully when necessary. It is the realization of the time-honored dream of “customized education,” now made possible in part by digital means. There is, of course, nothing against the use of technology in education - blackboard and abacus were the analog predecessors of the interactive white board and calculator -...

28 September 2022

in DCSP #12

by Editor

Robotization; why a billion robots would make the world a better place

By Frédérique Ternede Interview with Randall van Poelvoorde (Co-Founder The Meta Company) For my interview in this twelfth edition, I spoke with Randall van Poelvoorde. When you think robots, you think Randall. He is Co-Founder of The Meta Company, robot.nu, robotzorg.nl, robotverhuur.nl and RobotXperience. He is a sought-after keynote speaker in technology and robots and has been a guest lecturer at Nyenrode Business University for many years where he inspired Executive MBA managers to think about the impact of technological developments on their customers and thus their own business. Since March this year Randall started The Meta Company, a consulting company that helps organizations navigate the Metaverse, the next incarnation of the Internet. I can’t wait to start our conversation about robots. Let’s start at the beginning. Where are you from and where did the fascination with technology and especially robots begin? When I was a little kid, my favorite trip was always to...

7 June 2022

in DCSP #11

by Editor

Smart Meters – managing critical infrastructure cyber risks requires diligence, focus and deep expertise!

By Krzysztof Swaczyński It’s time to act for Power and Utilities across the EU! According to Annex 1 of the Electricity Directive 2009/72/EC (currently replaced by Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on common rules for the internal electricity market), 80% of the electricity meters rolled out to consumers by 2024 are required to be meters of a new generation, commonly named ‘smart meters’ (subject to a cost benefits analysis), as a part of the ‘smart grid’ concept. While the deployment of the electrical ‘smart grid’ infrastructure increases its functionality, the risk associated with its operation increases. Complex solutions which are implemented to run it require an advanced approach to the identification and management of cybersecurity risks. The power grid, which is one of the most crucial pieces of critical infrastructure, tops the list of interest of various APTs (an APT is an...

7 June 2022

in DCSP #11

by Editor

The most huggable Dutch hacker

By Roel van Rijsewijk Inspiring conversations with Rickey Gevers This time at my kitchen table a conversation with Rickey Gevers, perhaps Holland’s best-known hacker amongst the general public. Nowadays he helps organizations to respond to cyber-attacks, what we call ‘incident response’. Not a very predictable job, so the conversation was a bit hard to schedule. A conversation about ‘hacking’: the use of systems for which they are not intended. And then the tricky boundaries of what is and what isn’t allowed with or without the best of intentions. A difficult issue that has dominated the discussion since the emergence of this phenomenon. Especially now that all kinds of critical infrastructure such as trains, locks, traffic lights and chemical factories can also be hacked. He owes his fame to the fact that young Rickey had the dubious honor of being the first Dutchman ever to be arrested for a hack. Of course I want to...

7 June 2022

in DCSP #11

by Editor

Is Freedom of expression better off with Elon Musk controlling Twitter?

By Rob van den Hoven van Genderen On April 25th, Twitter’s board of directors accepted Musk’s offer of $54.20 per share, or $44 billion, for total control of the company. Although there are some hurdles to pass in legal administration there is a big chance that Elon Musk is directing the course of Twitter for the future. He advocates absolute freedom of expression, while Twitter currently still closely monitors the statements of its users. What will be best for the freedom of expression? Do we want the village square back where everyone can say what is on his /her/gender-free mind? I commented the issue on BNR and will give this personal view also in this column. In a coming article of “HP de Tijd” I also gave this opinion in a pro/contra discussion where the statement was “Moderation on Twitter is necessary”. The pro person was Paul Tang, MEP on behalf of...

14 February 2022

in DCSP #10

by Editor

The invisible war in the fifth domain

By Roel van Rijsewijk Inspiring conversations with Boudewijn Boots The kitchen table conversation is again not at my kitchen table. I travel to The Hague to speak at the old offices of the Ministry of Defence with Boudewijn Boots, a Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy, since March 8, 2021 Deputy Commander of the Armed Forces and thus also a member of the Cyber Security Council. Our armed forces have traditionally operated on land, at sea and in the air. With space as the fourth domain, we are going to talk about the defense of the fifth domain: cyber space. The boy from Brabant who wanted to go to the sea After a small delay caused by a closed Coentunnel, I arrive a few minutes late at the impressive historic Defence building where I have to pass uniformed doormen who indicate that I was already wanted. A little intimidated by this and nervous that I’m...

14 February 2022

in DCSP #10

by Editor

Our values as a society are reflected in digital developments. For me: the Hippocratic Oath

By Gabriëlle Speijer During the industrial revolution, urbanization produced diseases like cholera and typhoid fever that put enormous pressure on public health through contaminated drinking water. The obviousness of the provisions we have made socially for pure drinking water for all will have to become analogous to how our society takes control when it comes to data and technology in the current technological revolution. Awareness of the foundation In society, the awareness that technology is already continuously intervening in our daily life appears to be lacking. We conduct transactions on the Internet without any certainty about everyone’s identity. Personal information is frequently used for financial gain behind the scenes without clear agreements. Organizations seem to be facing more and more challenges in representing a common mission. We see that responsibility based on function or role increasingly shifting to a set of rules and protocols. All this justifying leads to an increasing administrative burden and...

Author: Editor