Mission

Bernold's mission is to work on crossovers between university, government and industry to develop practical solutions for wicked problems. Especially in the field of cybersecurity and digital autonomy.

Current activities on cybersecurity

Bernold hosts the monthtly webinar "CyberSecurityBooster" (Dutch), that aims to provide a thirthy minute knowledge boost on cybersecurity and forms the basis for the interactive and on demand NIS 2 Masterclass. He is the presentor of the CyberSecurityBooster 'Talkshow.'. He initiated the CSAR-Index and the Dutch Cyber Security Lab and publishes in amongst others the Dutch Financial Times, NRC-Handelsblad, Binnenlands Bestuur, iBestuur and is columnist for Data Cyber Security & Privacy. Bernold is member of the advisory board of the Centre for the Law and Economics of Cyber Security at the Erasmus University Rotterdam and Guardian 360 BV.

Activities on labour market innovations

Bernold is the founder and advisory board member of CrossOver B.V.. CrossOver B.V. has been recognised for being one of the fasted growing companies in the Netherlands in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 by the Dutch Financial Times. CrossOver was acquired by Future Works Group in 2025. Its mission is to contribute to sufficient technical professionals with smart hands to keep the Netherlands liveable for the next 100 years. For more information please visit: www.crossovernederland.nl. In 2011, Bernold founded the InvestMens foundation, that aims to promote intersectoral job-job mobility in the Netherlands.

Interests:

- Cybersecurity

- Digital autonomy

- Labour market innovations, especially regarding job-job mobility and technical professionals

- Retirement policies

- Energy transition

- Democracy and the Dutch "Poldermodel".

Academic background

In 2011, he was participant at the Dutch National Think Tank. In 2013, he obtained degrees in law at Utrecht University (Cum Laude) and systems engineering, policy analysis and management at Delft University of Technology. In 2018, he obtained his doctorate in the law and economics of cyber security at the European Doctorate of Law & Economics (Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Hamburg and University of Bologna).

Bernold was founder & director of the Centre of the Law and Economics of Cyber Security (CLECS) at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Currently he is member of the advisory board.

A selection of the scientific publications of Bernold can be found here. He published two books about cybersecurity at Delex Publishers.

Contact

You can contact Bernold via LinkedIn or via bernold[at]bernoldnieuwesteeg.nl.

DCSP Column #8: Discussion about digital autonomy must become part of the Dutch political debate