Michiel has had an interest in security ever since he was a child. “I wondered how game developers enforced their licenses, how hacking worked, but also non-IT security. I bought my first lockpicking kit when I was 13, as a way of exploring other means of opening a lock besides a key.” He would go on to study Applied Informatics, covering Network Security and Penetration Testing, eventually earning a Master in Commercial Sciences from University of Leuven. He served with the Belgian Federal Justice Department for several years, contributing to a safer and more open society through his role as a Cyber Security Officer. This role enabled his exploration in several cybersecurity fields including engineering, digital forensics, and offensive operations, in high-security environments. After 10 years, Michiel was ready for a new challenge and moved into his role on the Offensive Security Team at the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-EU) for the European Union.
