From Compliance to Connection: Why Cybersecurity Starts with Trust & Collaboration

​​In cybersecurity, we often talk about firewalls, frameworks, and forensic readiness. But after more than 25 years in the field, I’ve learned that the true starting point of resilience isn’t technology, it’s trust and collaboration.

The threats we face today are not only more frequent, but also more advanced and strategic. State-sponsored groups operate with near-limitless resources, targeting critical infrastructure, sensitive research, and national institutions. Their attacks are stealthy, persistent, and devastating. What makes them especially dangerous is the imbalance: they have time and budget; we often face fragmentation and a lack of transparency between partners.

That’s why the strongest line of defense isn’t a new tool. It’s a new mindset.

The Weakest Link Isn’t Always Technical

When cyberattacks succeed, it’s rarely due to missing tools. More often, it’s the result of gaps between people, between IT and the boardroom, between supply chain partners, and across sectors. Attackers exploit these voids. The solution? Build bridges before the crisis hits.

Resilient organizations are those with deep trust between key professionals. We call this “soulmate collaboration”: relationships based on shared goals, honest conversations, and a willingness to act together, beyond compliance or contracts.

Transparency as a Tactical Advantage

Too often, transparency is seen as a liability. But hiding incidents doesn’t make us safer, it leaves others vulnerable. Hackers don’t care about your sector. If your neighbor is compromised and you share digital pathways, you’re at risk too.

By sharing threat intelligence across trusted networks, like ISACs, the Dutch Digital Trust Center, and peer groups, we help each other detect faster, respond smarter, and recover stronger.

The impact of AI on attackers and defense

AI is reshaping both sides of the cybersecurity battle. It makes phishing, identity spoofing, and scanning for vulnerabilities more accessible than ever. On the defense side, AI-driven tools improve detection and automate responses, but the biggest decisions still rely on human judgment.

That’s why our security frameworks must balance prevention, detection, and response. Traditionally, we focus on prevention, like building the perfect football defense. But even the best defense will not play without a goalkeeper, you will eventually face a shot on goal. The same applies in a cyber crisis. Without trained response capabilities, clear roles, rehearsed plans, and trusted partners, you risk letting a manageable incident spiral out of control. And just as no football match is won by a good defense line, no cyber defense is complete without collaboration and trust across the chain.

Building the Future on Trust

Trust allows us to share knowledge and experiences, even painful ones, because that’s where true value lies. So much can be learned from a crisis. Security isn’t static, and neither is trust. It’s built in calm moments and tested under pressure.

To move from reactive firefighting to true resilience, we must embed trust as a strategic pillar in our security programs. That means investing not just in tools, but in relationships, across roles, across sectors, and across the chain.

Let’s stop treating trust as a soft concept. It’s the foundation for meaningful cooperation. It enables us to help each other, even competitors, when the stakes are high. Without it, legal boundaries, commercial interests, and personal egos become obstacles. With it, we enable open dialogue, timely action, and real progress.

It’s not about fixing every gap with trust, but creating the environment in which those gaps can be found and resolved, together.

In-person networking: where Trust Takes Root

Trust isn’t built in the heat of a crisis, it’s nurtured beforehand. That’s why in-person gatherings, like Cybersec, are so essential. They offer a rare space where professionals connect, exchange insights, and lay the foundation for collaboration that holds under pressure.

No tool replaces the clarity of a face-to-face conversation or the confidence built through shared understanding. If we want to strengthen not just our systems but our teams, we need these moments to listen, to learn, and to lead, together. Because in the end, our strongest defense isn’t just what we know. It’s who we trust to stand beside us when it matters most.

As cyber attacks continue to threaten today’s tech landscape, this event is the premier platform for seasoned cyber security professionals and innovative start-ups to exchange knowledge and tackle cybersecurity challenges together. Organizations across all sectors will discover strategies to boost cyber resilience and safeguard critical assets. Don’t miss this chance to strengthen your cyber defenses.

Simultaneously with Cybersec Netherlands, the Data Expo takes place in Hall 12—the perfect spot for additional knowledge, insights, and inspiration in the field of data.