On Tuesday, 18 November, the Government-wide Cyber Exercise won the Computable Award in the Cyber Resilience category. Time to reflect on achievements so far and look ahead with those directly involved. What are the strengths of the project? How has the exercise evolved? And what are its ambitions for the future?
Reflections on the past and future of the Government-wide Cyber Programme are presented around 2 themes: collaboration and innovation. These topics align well with the evening’s theme during the festive awards ceremony. ‘Rebooting Reality’: the necessity to reconsider our digital world at a time when geopolitical tensions, AI, energy crises, and cyber and information warfare are driving everything forward.
Strong concept
As with many innovations, it all started with a good idea. In 2018, initiator Suzie Kewal (Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, BZK) asked herself the following question: “In the Netherlands, we have an excellent system for getting people safely onto the physical motorway: theory lessons, practical exams and, above all, lots of practice. Why do we not organise the same for our digital motorway?” The question came just as she was tasked with developing an information security action plan. For her, it was the perfect opportunity to innovate. “No more endless talk about security, but an approach that revolves around acting: gaining experience, learning by trying, improving by practising. How empowering would it be if we could do that with realistic scenarios?”
Rebooting
Desirée Geerts ( BZK), current commissioner of the Government-wide Cyber Programme and the exercise, has witnessed the programme’s growth since its inception: “What we have now has been built up over 7 years: from pilot to tradition, because that is what the exercise has become.” She emphasises that this was not a given in a time of financial scarcity and the COVID-19 crisis. ‘Rebooting’ is therefore one of the recurring themes in the history of the exercise. During the coronavirus pandemic, for example, the Cyber Exercise transitioned from a live event to a hybrid event out of necessity. It has remained that way ever since.
Chantal Bennink (delegated commissioning agent on behalf of BZK) adds: “It is wonderful to see how Suzie, together with partners from both within and outside the government, has built such a strong concept from the ground up. More and more people are discovering the platform weerbaredigitaleoverheid.nl (Dutch). The platform now has over 9,000 registered users, while the LinkedIn account has almost 5,500 followers.
Becoming more resilient together
Shortly before the award ceremony, the seventh Government-wide Cyber Exercise was held on 3 November 2025. Programme Manager Linda van de Sluijs (ICTU) reflects on this day, which emphasised collaboration. “A lot of preparation goes into the exercise, which we do in collaboration with our partners. Delegates from various government bodies contribute their views on the key areas to be practised. KPMG creates a topical and relevant scenario and script. SPITZ Congress & Event, along with presenter Joost Hoebink and technical partners like Webinary, guarantees the event is meticulously organised for guests at the table, the audience, and viewers at home.”
Green room
During the day, the central exercise table practises with experienced crisis team members in front of an audience and a live stream. The exercise materials have been made available in advance so organisations can rehearse before watching the event. So far this year, 120 organisations have done so. A new feature this year is that several organisations participated in the exercise in the green room on 3 November. “This allows us to learn from each other, because we need each other,” says Van der Sluijs.
Continuous innovation
Practising together, sharing dilemmas and learning from each other are becoming increasingly important, says Chantal Bennink. This is not only the result of greater awareness among governments but also an increasingly ominous threat picture. New and emerging threats are arising, such as state actors focused on social disruption. They look for opportunities to cause real-world issues, such as flooding or power outages, through IT systems. “This changing threat landscape calls for greater cooperation in cybersecurity, including at the regional level. Moreover, a cyber crisis affects chain partners; you need others to be able to recover.” Bennink therefore sees a great need for government organisations to practise together in the chain and in the region, while also connecting with the national crisis structure. “The green room was a first step in this renewal. It was great to see how practising together generates extra energy and insights.”
Caribbean Cyber Programme
The expansion of the exercise is not limited to the Dutch part of the kingdom. This year, the programme is extending to the Caribbean part of the Netherlands. In October, the 1st Government-wide Cyber Exercise was held there. In addition, a series of 5 webinars is scheduled to focus specifically on the Caribbean digital landscape. More information on the Caribbean Cyber Programme is available on its website.
