The Chair Science and Technology for Peace and Security (PEASEC) is pleased to welcome Prof. Dr. Ira Helsloot as a guest professor for the summer semester of 2025.
Prof. Dr. Ira Helsloot is professor of the Governance of Safety and Security at the Radboud University and chairman of the Crisislab Foundation. Originally promoted as a mathematician, he is engaged in research on crisis management and the governance of safety since 1994. He was professor of Crisis Management and Physical Security at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam from 2006 to 2011 and long term editor of the Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management (2004-2022).
As part of his guest professorship at PEASEC, Prof. Helsloot will be leading the course 20-00-1216-iv Cyber Incident Preparation and Response. This course focuses on decision-making processes during cyber incidents such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, malware infections, and data breaches. Participants will gain valuable insights into how organizations can effectively respond to such incidents to maintain operations and stakeholder trust.
Course Contents:
In the event of a cyber incident like a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, widespread malware infection, or data breach, organisations must act swiftly to continue or restore operations and maintain stakeholders’ trust. This course delves into the concepts of decision-making in preparation and response to cyber incidents.
A focus point in this course will be the concept of resilient decision-making within the realm of cyber incident response. We discuss three interrelated concepts: a resilient cyber decision-making process, a resilient cyber decision, and a cyber resilient performance. As we will show the relationship between three concepts is not trivial. Drawing on the principles of naturalistic decision-making (NDM), we demonstrate that a resilient cyber decision-making process during cyber incidents requires anticipation of and overcoming inherent flaws in decision-making, which, while theoretically feasible, proves challenging for professionals under severe time constraints and uncertainty. So, it might be considered lucky that a priori resilient cyber decisions may enhance a cyber resilient performance. The practical implications of these insights suggest that enhancing a priori cyber resilience should be prioritized by for example effective resource management.
Additional Information:
The course will start with a two-day intensive and immersive session during which the basics of the governance of safety and security are covered. This will be the base for the specific course content on cyber incident preparation and response.
During the semester there will be weekly on-line colleges during which specific themes are covered, and the exam-advice development will be discussed.
A guest lecture will be given by dr. Jelle Groenendaal, o.a. former senior IT-security advisor with an international operating Dutch-based bank whose work will be part of the literature studied. This will give students the chance to interact with a ‘reflective practitioner’ on the domain.
The course exam will be advice on a functional cyber incident plan for a real municipality or a medium sized business that the student will work with during the course period. This advice should of course be rooted in the literature, however the advice must above all be clear to and implementable by the organization.
Th, 8. May 2025 09:50 16:30 S2|20 9+10
Fri, 9. May 2025 09:50 16:30 S2|20 9+10
Th, 10. Jul. 2025 09:50 16:30 S2|20 9+10
Fri, 11. Jul. 2025 09:50 16:30 S2|20 9+10
PEASEC is excited to have Prof. Helsloot contribute his expertise to its academic community, enriching students’ understanding of cyber security and crisis management.