How do you protect the world against cybercrime? Become the professional of the future
Examining cybercrime from criminological, legal, administrative, and technical perspectives. The new Dutch-taught Bachelor's programme in Cybersecurity & Cybercrime addresses the growing demand for versatile cyber professionals.
'Cybercrime is a phenomenon that continues to increase. We don’t see this with forms of offline crime. The number of cyber offences is remarkably high. It is invisible and elusive. This programme aims to address that,’ says lecturer Elina van 't Zand from the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology.
Causing significant damage with little effort
As a criminologist and lawyer, Elina identifies two paths that cybercriminals tend to follow: ‘Those who come into it through conventional crime, such as theft, and then also engage in online fraud. They do it for financial gain. Then there's a group that is purely interested in the technology and encounters hacking through gaming and online forums, eventually carrying out a DDoS attack. They can cause significant damage with little effort, possibly without even realising it.’
‘This new form of crime occurs in a very intangible, non-physical world. Many people don’t even report it, for instance, if they order something online and it never arrives. If someone breaks into your home, it has a significant impact, but it’s no different online. Who is behind it? Is it the boy next door or someone in Asia? Do you have access to servers in China? How do you find the responsible party, and which investigative methods are permissible in this context?
'Solution for this type of issues'
That last aspect falls within the legal component of the programme. Daan Weggemans from the Institute for Security & Global Affairs (previously the Programme Director for the BSc in Security Studies) is also part of the educational board of the programme, alongside Elina: ‘To have an effective response to online threats, you need to train people who understand all the languages, questions, and dilemmas involved. They should be fluent in the languages of technology, law, and governance. Only then do you have a link between all these domains, allowing you to look for solutions to such issues.'
‘You will engage with the world around you’
According to Daan Weggemans, there is a tremendous demand for this type of professional with knowledge across multiple fields. This bachelor’s programme explicitly emphasises a combination of theory and practice. Current topics, such as the recent police hack or the large-scale IT failure at Defence, are also integrated into the curriculum.
Daan: ‘Guest lectures from professionals and academics with strong links to practice will be included. For instance, Bibi van den Berg, Professor of Cybersecurity Governance, is part of the cybersecurity council. There are many more cyber professionals in The Hague. You will engage with the world around you, with an academic foundation and skills.’
This could be a question that a company or government organisation might ask students:
At the end of the programme, there is a consultancy module. Students then provide advice to a professional organisation facing a challenge: a modern form of education. You solve real problems, which demonstrates the added value.
- Design a training programme for an organisation to prevent phishing emails.
- What does a public awareness campaign about digital threats look like?
- Design a technical or legal intervention against ransomware attacks.
- What is the relationship between AI and cybercrime? How can AI jeopardise cybersecurity?
'Programming and analysing complex attacks'
Olga Gadyatskaya is an Associate Professor in Cybersecurity and serves on the educational board on behalf of the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS), the Computer Science Institute of the Faculty of Science. The institute contributes to the programme by providing the necessary technical knowledge and skills to understand and protect digital systems.
‘By learning to programme and understanding both software and hardware, students can ultimately identify threats proactively and develop robust security solutions. From the perspective of computer science, we teach students the essential tools and insights needed to analyse complex attacks, secure systems, and identify vulnerabilities.’
Serious games and moot courts: not only traditional education
Daan Weggemans: ‘It’s not just traditional education with lectures, work groups, exams, and then going home. In this complex digital world, you need all forms of education. Serious games and, for example, a simulation of negotiations with ransomware groups. There’s also technical education and a hackathon, programming, as well as moot courts and legal advocacy exercises based on real court cases. Practical experience is certainly included.’
Text: Magali van Wieren
Photos: Monique Shaw & Arash Nikkhah