Sebastien Deleersnyder is Belgium’s Cyber Security Personality of the Year 2022!
2 min leestijd
On 7 October 2022, the 'Cyber Security Personality of the Year' award ceremony took place for the second time. The campaign was organised by the Cyber Security Coalition to highlight a personality who has made a significant contribution to our country's cyber resilience. Among the 10 finalists, the jury distinguished the remarkable entrepreneurship of Sebastien Deleersnyder, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Toreon, a cyber security company with roots in Flanders but eyes on the world. He may call himself 'Cyber Security Personality of the Year' for the next year.
Dear Coalition member,
On behalf of the jury, I am very pleased to announce that Mr. Sebastien Deleersnyder, Co-founder and CTO of Toreon, is the Cyber Security Personality of the Year 2022!
With this award, the jury recognized Sebastien’s unique entrepreneurship, as well as his undeniable contribution to creating an ecosystem of cyber professionals. With more than twenty years of experience in cyber security, he trained countless developers in securing software and as such he is an authentic inspirer for generations of cyber experts.
Sebastien succeeds in realizing his ambitions by implementing numerous initiatives with direct impact on the community. He created the Belgian Chapter of OWASP, co-founded BruCON, and co-organized the Cyber Security Challenge Belgium during the past two years. Recently, with the acquisition of the Data Protection Institute and the cooperation with Passwerk, he and his colleagues continue expanding the training offering targeting a much larger audience. His international activities and charisma put Belgium on the cyber security map.
Through all these activities, he undeniably makes an important contribution to our country’s security posture and the cyber talent development that we desperately need. We are looking forward to Sebastien’s future projects. No matter what he does next, we know it will be with enthusiasm and determination. Congratulations!
I would like to thank my fellow jury members for their dedication and painstaking work when it came to judging the applicants. They have assessed, analyzed each finalist and could make the valuable decision of selecting the “Cyber Personality of the Year 2022”.
I convey my congratulation to all the finalists. They have set a very admirable benchmark for other cyber experts. The fact that we have cybersecurity is not a given, but through commitment and capabilities, we can surmount the many challenges and seize opportunities ahead. I thank all finalists for the work they have done for our cybersecurity ecosystem. I hope they will continue to achieve brilliance in their respective career and beyond.
I would also like to express my gratitude towards the Coalition task force members who have fulfilled their duties very well and took all the loads of work with a smile. In the years to come, I am confident that the Cyber Personality of the Year Award will become a signature event in the cyber security field.
I thank you for your continued support which made this campaign possible and this award ceremony memorable. The cause of securing our country and Europe has never been more relevant. But we can achieve a lot by sharing our experiences, joining our forces, and exploiting our talents.
That is the mission of the Cyber Security Coalition, whether it is the pursuit of the digital wellbeing of the citizens, our commitment to defend our values against cyber criminals, and our sacrifices to make Belgium a safer place. I hope and aspire that you will continue to support the Coalition in the coming years and take our association to the next level.
Best regards,
Jan De Blauwe
Chair
Cyber Security Coalition
