How can the armed forces access the best cybersecurity expertise when much of that knowledge is found within businesses and research institutions? At Cybersec Netherlands 2026, representatives from Defence, industry and academia will discuss how cyber reservists connect these worlds.
The digital threat facing the Netherlands has been increasing for years. State actors, cybercriminals and hacktivists are increasingly targeting critical infrastructure, government organisations and businesses. At the same time, almost every sector is becoming more dependent on digital systems.
Cybersecurity is therefore no longer solely a technical issue. It has become an essential part of national security.
This development creates a new challenge. Demand for specialised cybersecurity professionals is greater than the available supply. This affects the private sector, but also Defence. Attracting and retaining sufficient cyber expertise has therefore become a strategic priority.
A public private approach
Defence is increasingly addressing this challenge through public private cooperation. Cyber reservists bring specialist knowledge from their everyday careers into the armed forces.
Unlike traditional reservists, they are often deployed specifically because of their professional expertise. Their experience in incident response, cloud security, OT security, digital forensics or threat intelligence can be applied directly within the military cyber organisation.
This exchange benefits everyone involved. Defence gains access to current knowledge and practical experience from the market, while reservists develop their skills within a unique operational environment.
Employers also benefit. Their employees gain experience in an environment where cooperation, crisis management and decision making under pressure are part of daily operations. They can then bring those lessons back into their own organisations.
New questions and responsibilities
Being a cyber reservist is therefore much more than a form of social involvement. It is a practical example of public private cooperation in an area where collaboration is becoming increasingly important.
Digital resilience does not stop at the boundaries of a single organisation. Government, businesses and research institutions are becoming more closely connected. Sharing knowledge and experience is therefore essential.
At the same time, being a reservist raises new questions. How do professionals combine a civilian career with military responsibilities? What agreements should employers make when an employee becomes a reservist? How should confidentiality, operational deployment and increasing geopolitical tensions be managed?
And what does it mean to be a cyber reservist now that cyberspace has become a fully operational military domain?
There are no simple answers to these questions. That is precisely why bringing together representatives with different perspectives is so valuable.
Bringing the full ecosystem together
The panel discussion brings together every part of this ecosystem.
Representing Defence are Tessa Huisman-de Kort, Director of Personnel Policy and Management, and Colonel Jorrit de Gruijter, Deputy Commander of the Defence Cyber Command.
Lieutenant Colonel Martijn Sprengers, founder of Tidal Control, will share his experiences as a cyber reservist. André Beijen, Network Whisperer at Kyndryl, will contribute the employer’s perspective.
The discussion will be moderated by Martine Groen, Professor of Cyber Security at HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, who has conducted extensive research into cyber resilience and reservists.
Cyber reservists at Cybersec Netherlands 2026
The session “Cyber Reservists: The Connective Tissue Between Defence and the Digital Resilience of the Netherlands” takes place during Cybersec Netherlands 2026 on Thursday 10 September, from 13:55 to 14:40 at Jaarbeurs Utrecht.
Visitors will gain insight into the role of cyber reservists within Defence and into the broader question of how government, businesses and research institutions can work together to strengthen the digital resilience of the Netherlands.
