First Cybersmart Edubadge

‘The Cybersmart Edubadge is a kind of digital certificate that shows that you have made exceptional achievements in cybersecurity,’ Esmée explains. ‘The fact that I am the first student in the Netherlands to receive it is very special to me. The badge allows you to demonstrate your expertise, for example through your CV and on LinkedIn.’

This is not only useful for a talent like Esmée, but also for companies looking for talented cybersecurity professionals. Because the demand for qualified staff is growing as fast as cybercrime, criminal activities that target a computer, digital network or network device with the aim of defrauding or damaging people or companies.

Cybercrime costs Dutch companies and the government some 10 billion euros annually, the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has calculated. By 2023, 16 per cent of the population will have been victims of one or more online crimes or incidents. These include scams, fraud and hacking.

Extraordinary allocation

Third-year student Esmée received the Cybersmart Edubadge Tuesday night during Tilburg Tech Tuesday XXL at Fontys ICT because of her extraordinary allocation within the cybersecurity community. In addition to her ICT study programme in cybersecurity, she has gained many relevant experiences.

For instance, she coaches the Tilburg hacking team as team captain, organises several evenings of training in ethical hacking, participates in competitions and voluntarily works on cold case cases. Her dedication and certifications achieved underline her cybersmart status, according to the organisation behind the Cybersmart Edubadge.

For Esmée, what she does is very ordinary, but she is now starting to realise that she has real talent. ‘Being awarded the badge is a recognition of everything I am doing and that what I do matters,’ she said. The latter is very important for students.

Digital trace researcher

‘After graduation, I would prefer to work as a digital trace investigator at the Criminal Investigation Department or the Netherlands Forensic Institute, because I want to help people and companies.’ Professional stalking, she calls online tracking someone who commits (possible) cybercrime.

According to Esmée, cybersecurity specialists are badly needed in the Netherlands. ‘We are still well informed, but because of AI, cybercriminals are getting smarter. There will come a time when we are in danger of falling behind. There lies a nice challenge for our fields of expertise.’

Ron Mélotte, project leader Cyber Security at Fontys, stressed how important the new form of recognition is for the sector. ‘With this edubadge, we can better demonstrate what specific cybersecurity skills students have developed, something that is essential in a market crying out for cybersecurity experts.’

The talented student is immensely grateful to her three lecturers, including Ron Mélotte. ‘They put me on the trail of cybersecurity. I myself had never thought of going in this direction. Now that I seem to have a talent for it, I don't want anything else,’ she says passionately.

An edubadge is a digital and verifiable proof of learning achievements, secured with metadata reflecting the level, scope and content of the achievements. Edubadges are issued all over the world. For the Dutch education sector, they are issued by Surf.

Source: Bron.fontys.nl