International Cyber Security Summer School - ICSSS 2024, 18 - 23 August '24 | 9th Edition

The International Cyber Security Summer School (ICSSS) is an annual summer school, originally organised by NATO C&I Agency, Europol, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence Cyber Command, Leiden University and The Hague Security Delta. The first edition took place in 2015, starting with 40 students. Given the success, further editions of the Summer School have been hosted, allowing up to 60 students to participate in the program. 

Given the digitisation of our society, cyber security is rising on the political agenda, as the consequences of attacks, incidents and security breaches are increasing. In 2010, a cyber-attack on the Iranian uranium enrichment facilities using Stuxnet, a malicious computerworm, disrupted the operations. In 2011, Sony lost personal data of 77 million users, following the PlayStation network hack, which forced the company to shut it down for nearly three weeks, costing them 171 million dollar. In 2014, the JP Morgan Chase hack exposed the data of 83 million accounts, making it one of the largest cyber-attacks in history. In 2016 it was announced that two separate hacks at Yahoo affected over 1 billion accounts. This resulted in a $250 million discount for Verizon who were about to acquire Yahoo.

The International Cyber Security Summer School allows students and young professionals to gain deeper knowledge and understanding of cyber security concepts, as they will learn about the latest developments and the cutting edge cyber security technologies that exist today. In previous editions, students received lectures and insiders’ perspectives from a variety of industry experts, working for, inter alios, Europol, NATO, the Dutch Department of Security and Justice, The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service, and the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX). ​

Topics & Themes

A multidisciplinary approach to the study of cyber security

The International Cyber Security Summer School (ICSSS) applies a multidisciplinary approach to its central theme – cyber security. ICSSS explores the concept of cyber security from various perspectives such as law, social norms and diplomacy, technology, and business. Each of the aforementioned disciplines and fields examines and interprets cyber security distinctly, and the integration of these different perspectives is what makes ICSSS a unique learning experience for students.

During the ICSSS, students will study cyber norms and responsible behaviour by states and non-state actors in cyberspace. In understanding how actors should behave appropriately in cyberspace, students will, among other things, explore the work of different fora that are prominent in the field, such as UN Groups of Governmental Experts. The knowledge gained during this session will thus allow students to gain an understanding of which activities in cyberspace should be regulated and how.

In addition, students will examine technical matters of cyber security. Some of these may comprise dark web as well as criminal and other non-traditional uses of cryptocurrencies. This focus allows students to better understand and research the approaches, tools, and techniques that are used in cyber space for unlawful purposes. As organizations and companies face cyber attacks by malicious threat actors, they have to design strategies for countering malicious attacks. Students are introduced to the world of cyber crises to better understand the potential pitfalls of and requirements for strong crisis management in this multifaceted domain. 

Apart from the normative and technical side of cyber security, privacy and data inference issues as well as threats to national critical infrastructures are covered. Students will reflect on the role that artificial intelligence plays in addressing cyber security matters. ICSSS applies an integrative approach to the learning of cyber security matters ranging from cyber norms and law to technology and artificial intelligence to cyber attacks on private companies and states.

Challenging assignments provided by leading (inter)national organisations

Besides acquiring high level theoretical knowledge on a broad spectrum of cyber security topics, students will also apply that knowledge to concrete cyber security related challenges, provided to them by leading (inter)national organizations or public institutions. The challenges aim at offering solutions to real-life cyber security problems that governments, private organizations, and the general public encounter.

Diverse and international environment

ICSSS brings together students from all over the world and perspectives from various backgrounds. Through interaction with lecturers, organizations, and their fellow participants, students will finalize the ICSSS with a comprehensive view on how governments, companies, and organizations around the world approach, explore, and tackle the concept of cyber security.