About Digital Trust Center

The Netherlands has an excellent business climate and a strong competitive position internationally. Digitisation is an important part of this. A precondition for this is that entrepreneurs are digitally resilient and have their digital security in order. To help entrepreneurs manage this, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK) established the Digital Trust Center (DTC) in 2018.

From freelancers to large companies

The DTC's mission is to make 1.8 million Dutch companies more resilient against increasing cyber threats. From freelancers to large companies that belong to the non-vital sectors, and everything in between. Vital sectors, such as banks, telecom, energy, and water companies, have the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) as a sparring partner with the national government.

Step-by-step approach

The DTC addresses its broad target group with a step-by-step approach, in a number of ways:

1. Knowledge, information, and advice via the website

The website offers low-threshold knowledge, information, and advice that entrepreneurs can apply themselves. For example, the DTC has drawn up the 5 basic principles of secure digital entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs can use these basic principles as a guide to get their company's basic digital security measures in order. The website also offers information and advice on important themes related to cyber resilience. The website covers the stories of entrepreneurs as well. This enables entrepreneurs to inspire and encourage each other to get started with their digital security.

2. Developing tools such as the Basic Cyber Resilience Scan

For many entrepreneurs it is difficult to assess the digital security of their company. The DTC has therefore developed the Basic Cyber Resilience Scan (in Dutch) that entrepreneurs can use to test the cyber resilience of their company. The scan presents statements based on the 5 basic principles of secure digital entrepreneurship.

3. Encouraging collaboration

Collaboration is essential for companies to become more resilient against cyber threats. The DTC stimulates partnerships (in Dutch) between companies that help groups of entrepreneurs with secure digital entrepreneurship. These so-called cyber resilience networks can work together in the chain, region, sector, or industry. A subsidy of €1000,000 per year was available for this in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The maximum per project is €200,000.

4. Making the DTC Community available

The online DTC Community offers affiliated companies the opportunity to exchange current and relevant information in a closed environment. The DTC also shares current threat information from the NCSC via this channel. Join the DTC Community (in Dutch) and contribute to a safer business climate.

5. Sharing threat intelligence with individual companies

DTC shares relevant general information for entrepreneurs about cyber threats or vulnerabilities through its news channels and the DTC Community. Company-specific threat information is also shared – unsolicited – with individual companies. This allows companies to take action quickly to prevent a cyberattack or limit the damage. Learn more about receiving threat intelligence (in Dutch).