Daphné Lammens

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[Press release] Laurie-Anne Bourdain elected as board member of international cybersecurity organization (ISC)²

Laurie-Anne Bourdain has been elected to the ‘Board of Directors’ of the global nonprofit organization (ISC)². That is one of the world’s leading cybersecurity associations with 168,000 members, and is best known for its internationally renowned Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification. In daily life, Laurie-Anne Bourdain is Data Protection Officer at fintech Isabel Group.

The Board of Directors of (ISC)² consists of 13 board members. The three-year cycle of five members expired and (ISC)² members have now elected five new representatives for the next three years. The five board members are from Australia, Belgium, Greece, the UAE and the US.

As DPO, Laurie-Anne Bourdain specializes in data protection and security awareness (“awareness”). “I am very complementary to my colleagues on the Board, who have a rather technical specialization. I will particularly emphasize the importance of data protection, risk management and awareness. Organizations need awareness trainers, budget managers, technical writers who can translate cybersecurity into policy, and so on. One of my goals is to demystify just that technicality of cybersecurity and convince people to step up to a role in our industry. Within (ISC)², I want to optimize member communication and the ongoing education of our members.”

"One of my goals is to demystify just that technicality of cybersecurity and convince people to step up to a role in our industry. Within (ISC)², I want to optimize member communication and the ongoing education of our members."

Laurie-Anne Bourdain DPO
laurieannebourdain

CISSP certification as a job guarantee

All of the new board members were certified as CISSP earlier in their careers, including Bourdain. In the EU and Canada, among others, the (ISC)² certificate is often required for a job in cybersecurity for government organizations. Bourdain: “Especially in Europe, the CISSP certification is a real springboard for your career. That’s why this year we also created a junior certification, which does not require five years of seniority in the industry. (ISC)² is involved in numerous activities to increase cyber security for all. Through the Center for Cyber Safety, we provide training to children, there is a scholarship for women and persons from minority groups, and so on. As a person with vision impairment, diversity is close to my heart.”

It’s not Bourdain’s first board role. She also chairs the European committee that compiles the CIPP (Certified Information Privacy Professional) exam for the International Association of Privacy Professionals IAPP. She is a permanent member of the Belgian Cybersecurity Coalition – where she chairs the GRC focus group (governance, risk and compliance), and she is also a member of Beltug’s Privacy Council. Last June, she was also a founding member of Women4Cyber Belgium. Since 2014, she has been a member of (ISC)².

“This is a great opportunity for Laurie-Anne, we are immensely proud that she can grab it. It proves that she has delivered tremendously strongly for Isabel Group in recent years, and that as a group we invest heavily in cyber security and awareness. With her new role, Laurie-Anne will have an even greater platform to bring cyber awareness to the attention of our employees, customers and partners around the world,” said Jean de Crane, CEO Isabel Group.

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