Rabobank is protecting itself against hackers and cybercriminals. Hundreds of cyber employees are joining forces to stay as far ahead of cybercriminals as possible. Systems are getting better and better and IT specialists are getting smarter, but does the same apply to the other side. Cybersecurity is no longer a future topic. Now it's the time.
More about The Red Team
One of the teams working on cybersecurity is the odd one out. Rabobank's Red Team is a team of ethical hackers that tries to attack the bank in all sorts of ways, with the goal of actually protecting it. From actively hacking its own systems, to an "innocent" phishing email to Rabobank colleagues; the Red Team tries to discover weaknesses in security, so they can then strengthen them.
Who are these people? How do they operate, and where lies the ethical boundary? You will hear from ethical hackers Luc Kolen, Neal de Vocht and their team lead Kelvin Rorive himself in this three-part podcast (Dutch only).
What's going on?
Widespread digitization
The Netherlands is one of the most digitized countries, thanks to education, entrepreneurs and government. Ever larger parts of society are moving into the digital domain. And the more digital the society, the more likely cybercrime will occur.
Cybercriminals are getting smarter
Cybercriminals possess specialized knowledge. They are getting smarter and smarter, trying to hack systems and organizations through phishing, ransomware and DDoS attacks. The chance of an organization being hit by a cyber attack is currently 1 in 5.
The impact is significant
Does a hacker manage to get in? Then that could mean private data is out in the open, systems are locked down and people can't do their jobs.
The Red Team as the ultimate test
When it comes to cybersecurity, a bank has a duty of care to make customers and business owners aware of the risks and to make sure they can bank safely. In doing so, you can never rule out a cyber attack completely, but you can reduce the chance as much as possible. But you don't know if something is really secure until you attack it. That's what makes the work of the Red Team so important. They are the ultimate cybersecurity test.