Robust cyber security is fundamental to ensure NATO’s ability to operate and respond in a fast-evolving threat landscape. Building the next generation of cyber professionals is therefore critical to strengthening the Alliance’s resilience in an increasingly complex digital environment.
From 16 to 21 August 2026, the 11th edition of the International Cyber Security Summer School (ICSSS) took place in The Hague, Netherlands. The annual programme brings together students and young professionals from a range of technical and non-technical disciplines to explore cyber security challenges from different perspectives.
The ICSSS is jointly organized by Security Delta (HSD), the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), Europol and Leiden University. NCIA has contributed to the programme since its first edition in 2015, helping to inspire and engage the next generation of cyber leaders and defenders.
On Tuesday 18 August, NCIA welcomed approximately 70 ICSSS participants from 18 NATO Nations to its campus in The Hague, Netherlands. The visit agenda included a high-level introduction to NATO and NCIA’s role in cybersecurity, direct engagement and networking with NATO cyber professionals, and a fireside chat with NCIA experts working in the field. An interactive exercise was also included, encouraging the participants to apply multidisciplinary thinking to a cyber security challenge. The challenge exposed students to a realistic cyber crisis, demanding task force style teamwork to manage and strategize, weighing operational security with strategic intelligence gathering.
"It was a pleasure to welcome students to NCIA to explore how NCIA enables NATO to use cyberspace to achieve its core tasks. The students understood the message that cyber security in NATO is not just a technical matter, which is why it is so important that the ICSSS keeps bringing a diverse group of cyber talent to the table," explains Sander Oudkerk, Section Head Solutions and Roadmaps, NATO Cyber Security Centre, NCIA. "I was impressed with their enthusiastic engagement and it gives me confidence in our future cyber professionals."
For more than a decade, NCIA has supported the International Cyber Security Summer School by sharing its expertise and giving emerging cyber professionals an insight into cyber defence at NATO.
“The ICSSS programme was a very valuable experience that gave me a much better understanding of how cybersecurity fits within the wider security environment and the importance of international cooperation in addressing these challenges,” explains Cristine Bennen, a Dutch student pursuing a Master’s degree in Crisis Management and Security at Leiden University, specializing in Cybersecurity Governance. “I particularly appreciated the combination of expert sessions, discussions and practical exercises, which allowed us not only to learn from professionals working in the field, but also to exchange ideas and perspectives with participants from different backgrounds.”
NCIA’s continued participation in ICSSS also supports the Agency’s efforts to engage future talent and introduce students and young professionals to career opportunities where their skills can contribute to NATO’s mission.
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