The Amsterdam office was established to build upon Group-IB's existing expertise in European cyber threats, expand its global threat detection infrastructure, and strengthen on-the-ground support for its clients in the region, which includes major banks in the Netherlands. In line with its global strategy to develop a distributed international network of autonomous cybersecurity centers with in-depth knowledge of the local cybersecurity environment, the initial team based in Amsterdam comprises representatives from Group-IB's key business units. These include teams from Cyber Investigation, Digital Forensics, Incident Response, Security Assessment, Anti-Piracy, and Brand Protection, along with frontline Threat Intelligence analysts who have honed their skills by studying the most significant threat sources targeting businesses worldwide.
The choice of this host country for the European headquarters is no surprise: the Netherlands, home to Europol, the Hague Security Delta, the NATO Cybersecurity Agency, and the European Network for Cybersecurity (ENCS), is a major player in the European cybersecurity sector. According to Group-IB experts, the exodus of international technology and financial companies from London to Amsterdam is likely to increase the city's appeal to cybercriminals, inevitably leading to a rise in cyberattacks.
According to Group-IB's Hi-Tech Crime Trends 2019/2020 report, the Netherlands is one of the few victims of banking botnets, such as the notorious Dridex, Qbot, and Trickbot. Europe as a whole presents a much more diverse threat landscape, being targeted by at least 16 APT groups, numerous ransomware operators, and online scammers.
All of this determines the density of cyberspace in a region that, to be well protected, requires thorough exploration. Thus, the Amsterdam team's short-term objective will be to analyze local cybercrime, in order to give Group-IB's products and solutions a distinct regional perspective and create a map of the online threats facing this specific area. Group-IB also plans to cooperate closely with local law enforcement agencies to combat cybercrime in the European region and build resilience.
“Banks in the Netherlands and financial institutions across Europe were among the first customers to adopt Group-IB’s attribution-based threat intelligence system, indicating a high level of market maturity,” commented Group-IB Founder and CEO Ilya Sachkov. “Our team is spread across the continent, protecting our customers in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and other countries. We have been consistent in our development in the European market and now have the experience to scale our product deployments and continue supporting European businesses in the fight against cybercrime. Now, we are physically closer when needed. Even before officially announcing the opening of our Amsterdam office, we have already received several cooperation requests from potential partners. Our short-term priority in the region is actively recruiting cybersecurity experts. We will seize this crucial moment to capitalize on the opportunities.”.
The Amsterdam team plans to strengthen its expertise not only in depth but also in breadth, actively attracting local talent. In fact, the current recruitment policy in the region prioritizes the selection of experts in cybersecurity research and threat intelligence. Another dimension of this mission is close cooperation with European universities, as Group-IB seeks to offer talented young people the opportunity to experience firsthand the cutting edge of modern cyber warfare by interning at a company that has been fighting online crime globally for nearly two decades. Group-IB has already made inroads into the country's educational activities and has trained corporate security teams from Dutch banks, as well as local law enforcement agencies, including staff from the European Cybercrime Centre.
The collaboration with universities in the region is expected to boost Group-IB's initiative to foster the so-called "professions of the future." The main idea is to bridge the gap between long-term educational programs and the constantly evolving needs of the cybersecurity job market, equipping professionals with a set of fundamental skills that will allow them to accelerate their careers in cybersecurity. Group-IB's management has repeatedly stated that academic knowledge alone is not enough; therefore, it has actively invested resources in its new hires. For all these reasons, Group-IB has worked diligently to develop a network of partnerships with universities to offer young talent the opportunity to undertake internships.
“EMEA is traditionally an important region for Group IB, representing around 20% of our revenue,” says Alvaro Ladoux, Business Development Director in Spain. “Based on our experience and market research, the rate of cybercrime continues to grow alarmingly; digital risks, identity theft, and social engineering are increasing every year. The opening of our new office in Amsterdam will allow us to be closer to our clients, as well as other key organizations in the region, including Europol and the European Cybercrime Centre, improving information sharing and refining the entire security cycle, from detecting and identifying threat actors to apprehending them. Our new office is another step in our global expansion.”.
In the context of its regional commitments, Group-IB plans to carry out voluntary activities that facilitate access to socially important facilities in the region, such as hospitals, charities and educational organizations, with the aim of proactively improving resilience in the region.
