Inspiring the next generation of cyber leaders

Last week NCC Group looked towards the future and welcomed three children aged between 11 and 14 to spend some time with our FortConsult and Fox-IT teams to get a taste of what it’s like to be part of a world leading cyber security organisation.

Over at FortConsult, one of our employees of the future, Vincent, started by experiencing our usual induction process where he was introduced to key roles, products and services, before being taken through our organisation’s mission vision and values.

To get a broad understanding of all of the different parts of the business and how they work together, he attended customer and marketing meetings, participated in our cyber crisis games and shadowed security advisors in their day-to-day roles.

He then ended the day with Tomas Sorensen Boye, managing director of FortConsult, where he was able to feedback on his experience and what it felt like to be an employee.

Tomas Sorensen Boye, believes we can learn a lot from the younger generation. He says, “they are always ahead of me when it comes to everything connected, and they are also the generation I will soon manage or be managed by. It is our responsibility to work with and listen to the future generation of colleagues and leaders.”

Reflecting on the experience, Tomas believes that organisations should explain the importance of cooperation to anyone starting a new role, and that people across an organisation can come together to make a real difference.

“Both myself and NCC Group have a huge responsibility for security in our society, and internships like these give us the ability to create awareness and in turn perhaps encourage someone to think about a career in cyber – meaning ultimately we will have future generations that are more secure.”

As part of JINC’s Boss of Tomorrow event in the Netherlands, managing director at Fox-IT, Erik Ploegmakers welcomed Firat and Gizem to the team.

‘Boss of Tomorrow’ aims to give children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to find out what it’s like to spend a day in a senior role at world-leading organisations in a range of sectors.

After an introduction to the company, Erik took them to meet the red team, where they were tasked with an assignment, before heading over to the Security Operations Centre to learn the ins and outs of cyber security monitoring. To round up the day, Firat and Gizem pulled together a presentation on what they had done at Fox-IT to present to their classmates.

Echoing Tomas’ sentiment, Erik highlights why it’s so important for NCC Group to take part in initiatives like ‘Boss of Tomorrow’: “Giving back is a value that runs deep throughout NCC Group. This initiative is a great example of the tangible difference we can make as a company, and gives us the opportunity to actively help children prepare for the future.

Tomas concludes: “Our industry is constantly evolving and we have the ability to shape its future by welcoming and inspiring the next generation. Not only do these children have a lot to learn from NCC Group, but NCC Group has a lot to learn from them.”