Toespraak van minister Kamp bij de opening van de Innovation Room

Toespraak | 15-04-2015

Mayor van Aartsen, Rob de Wijk, ladies and gentlemen,

In the early days of the internet, cybercrime was relatively simple. Individuals would write viruses and worms that infected your home computer and maybe take down a network for a while. These efforts, while problematic, lacked scale, organization and an economic incentive. Today, cybercrime is a $400 billion dollar industry, according to last year’s estimate by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Cyber crime now encompasses the theft of personal data, intellectual property rights and financial crimes.

This change reflects the growing importance of the internet. The internet has transformed how we socialize, study, work and play. It has also altered the way we do business. It has given us new industries, jobs, and business models, making it a major source of economic growth and innovation. The most recent developments in big data, the internet of things and cloud computing will only accelerate this development.

With that, the internet has also become a source of vulnerabilities and concerns. Our digital infrastructure needs to be secured against outside interference and mishaps. Consumers and businesses need to be able to trust the digital services and products they use. And the digital interests of businesses, governments and consumers need to be balanced. Cyber security is vital to both national security and economic growth.

That is why we want to empower businesses to do two things: on the one hand innovate and capitalize on the growing value of data, on the other hand comply with privacy laws and retain the trust of consumers. To encourage this, I am setting up a working group that will recommend ways to facilitate privacy enhancing technologies and give more transparency and control to end users. This working group will build upon the privacy action plan that Pilab (Privacy and Identification lab) and TNO presented during this cyber week.

Privacy is not just a precondition to business, it is business. Take YOPS, for example, which is Your Online Profile Safe. It’s a secure environment that allows small business owners and job seekers to upload documents such as diplomas and share them safely with others. This type of innovation is both a source of income and increases trust in digital services. Another example is the innovative Blackphone by KPN, which shows how privacy and innovation can co-exist.

I am proud of these initiatives. They show that the Netherlands is a frontrunner in cyber security, in terms of our culture, infrastructure, and our policies.

As a people, we are tech-savvy, early adaptors of new technologies. Today, for example, some 90% of households has 4G/LTE coverage, one of highest rates in Europe. And we host the Amsterdam Internet Exchange, the largest internet hub in the world with a massive 3.5 Terabits in traffic during peak hours. It is this kind of infrastructure that has convinced tech giants Microsoft and Google to build data centers on Dutch soil.

We have also invested in a clear national cyber strategy, which is aimed at balancing our country’s needs for security, freedom and economic growth. As part of this strategy, we are building international coalitions and sharing best practices, as well as organizing events such as this one and the Global Conference on Cyber Space, which will begin tomorrow only a few kilometers from here.

Our national strategy is also characterized by an open dialogue and a multi-stakeholder approach, in which the government, private sector, academia and civil society work together. The Hague Security Delta shows how powerful it is when these partners pool their resources and align their agendas. With around 400 participating organization and facilities that include a serious gaming lab and real-time intelligence lab, this campus has become one of Europe’s largest security clusters in a matter of years.

The Innovation Room showcases some of the latest and most exciting developments. Privacy Perfect, for example, developed an innovative data mapping and privacy compliance tool. Cobleu is developing Storro, a secure online platform for collaboration and document exchange. And security company G4S and serious gaming developer LC3D are working on Cybercheck, which allows banks to train for cyber incidents.

What you will see here is only a taste of what is to come. Because I believe that the cyber security industry is only beginning to realize its full potential. According to research firm Gartner, last year some 71 billion dollar was spent on cyber security globally and this amount set to increase by 8% this year. Eager to nurture this potential, the Dutch government will undertake a study to pinpoint specific niches and earning models.

Now, while much of the innovative drive comes the private sector, it’s the government’s task to provide the right conditions for growth. And we do. We are strengthening our human capital in the area of IT, for example by turning the Cyber Security Academy into a global leader. And in the last two years, we invested €2.7 million in feasibility studies on 19 cyber security projects. Eight of these have been turned into prototypes and are shown here today.

We have also set up the Startup Delta, Europe’s largest start-up ecosystem. With a network of 14 innovation hubs, of which The Hague is one, this will help bring innovations more quickly to the market. The government is also using its diplomatic strengths to support the industry. We are working to attract foreign investments, including cyber security companies in our foreign trade missions and are globally promoting a free and open internet, internet standards and net neutrality.

Ladies and gentlemen,

A free, open and safe internet are pillars of modern society. They allow us to protect our freedom and democracy, and to power social and economic developments. I am grateful for, and excited by, your contributions to that. And I hope that today you will be more encouraged to innovate and work together with partners from the private sector, government and civil society. Cyber security offers many, many opportunities and I encourage you to explore them all. Thank you.