How Laurens Jagt is connecting founders, professionals and innovators across Europe's cyber ecosystem
Most people see cybersecurity as a technology challenge.
For Laurens Jagt, founder of Cyber Security Recruitment BV, it is first and foremost a people challenge.
While tools, platforms and regulations continue to evolve, Laurens believes progress often comes down to something much simpler: bringing the right people together. At HSD Campus in The Hague, he is building exactly that.
What started as one of the Netherlands’ first cybersecurity-focused recruitment agencies is now evolving into something much bigger: a European platform where cybersecurity professionals, founders and organisations can share knowledge, learn from one another and help strengthen Europe's digital future.
We spoke with Laurens about entrepreneurship, talent shortages, digital sovereignty and the ambition behind Cyber Security Recruitment BV's next chapter.
Creating something from nothing
Ask Laurens what gets him out of bed every morning and you will get two answers. The first is simple: his nine-month-old baby. The second reveals something fundamental about how he approaches life and business.
"I like creating things. I always want to build something from nothing."
That mindset has shaped much of his career. Whether launching companies, building communities or creating new initiatives, Laurens is driven by the challenge of turning ideas into reality. Sometimes quite literally.
In 2022, he cycled alone from Amsterdam to Qatar for the FIFA World Cup. Armed with little more than a tent, a football and a few changes of clothes, he travelled through fourteen countries over the course of more than one hundred days. Along the way, he raised money for an organisation that builds sports facilities in refugee camps.
Looking back, the journey reflects the same mindset that drives his work today: committing to an ambitious idea, bringing people together and finding a way to make it happen.
"If I say something out loud, then I need to do it."
That willingness to create, connect and commit has become the thread running through everything he does.
From recruitment agency to European platform
When Laurens co-founded Cybersecurity Recruitment in 2018, the cybersecurity landscape looked very different. Large enterprises had already begun investing heavily in cybersecurity, but many mid-sized organisations were only just starting to understand the risks and opportunities that came with an increasingly digital world.
Demand for cybersecurity talent was rising rapidly, while the number of qualified professionals remained limited. Recognising that gap, Laurens and his co-founder launched one of the Netherlands’ first recruitment agencies focused entirely on cybersecurity.
"There was already a shortage back then, but the gap has only grown since."
Over the years, the company established itself as a trusted partner within the Dutch cybersecurity sector. At the same time, something else was happening. Through interviews, podcasts, events and content creation, Cyber Security Recruitment BV began building a community.
Today, that community includes nearly 125,000 LinkedIn followers, around 70,000 newsletter subscribers and a growing network of founders, CISOs, security leaders and innovators from across Europe. The audience became larger than the recruitment business itself, and that sparked a new idea.
In the coming months, Cyber Security Recruitment BV and Cybersecurity Recruitment will become two distinct organisations. Recruitment will continue supporting Dutch organisations in finding scarce cybersecurity talent, while Cyber Security Recruitment BV will focus entirely on building a European platform.
"The goal is to create a place where European founders can share their stories, learn from each other and grow together."
A European answer to a European challenge
Behind that ambition lies a bigger question. Europe produces world-class cybersecurity innovation, yet many organisations still struggle to discover and adopt European solutions. At the same time, concerns around digital sovereignty continue to grow. Governments, enterprises and cybersecurity professionals are increasingly asking themselves how dependent they want to be on technology that is developed and controlled elsewhere.
For Laurens, the challenge is not a lack of innovation. The challenge is visibility.
"There are good European tools out there. You just need to know who they are."
That is where Cyber Security Recruitment BV wants to make a difference. The platform aims to help organisations discover European cybersecurity solutions, learn from peers who have already made the transition and connect founders with the audiences they need to grow.
Rather than acting as a marketplace, Cyber Security Recruitment BV sees itself as a facilitator. A place where trusted recommendations, real experiences and authentic conversations help organisations make better decisions. Through podcasts, founder stories, community discussions and, eventually, mentorship initiatives, the platform hopes to accelerate collaboration across the European cybersecurity landscape.
In many ways, Laurens sees it as a community-driven approach to strengthening Europe's digital resilience.
The cybersecurity talent challenge isn't going away
Even as Cyber Security Recruitment BV expands its focus, recruitment remains deeply connected to the company's story. And according to Laurens, the cybersecurity talent shortage remains one of the industry's biggest challenges.
"There is a real war for talent."
Unlike many sectors, cybersecurity remains heavily candidate-driven. Experienced professionals often have multiple opportunities available to them at any given time, which means organisations need to work harder than ever to attract and retain talent.
Yet many employers still focus on office perks and superficial benefits. Laurens believes the most attractive organisations offer something far more valuable: growth, purpose and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
"People don't join because of a football table or a fruit basket. They want to know where they can be in three to five years."
The organisations that successfully attract cybersecurity talent are often the ones that invest in learning, development and a culture where security is genuinely valued. Cybersecurity professionals want to know their work matters, not simply that a compliance box has been ticked.
Why soft skills are becoming a competitive advantage
Cybersecurity is often associated with highly technical experts, but Laurens believes the future belongs to professionals who can combine expertise with strong communication skills.
Many cybersecurity challenges no longer live solely within IT departments. They affect every part of an organisation, which means professionals must be able to explain risks, influence decisions and build support across teams.
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the workplace, those human skills are becoming even more important.
"You can compete on knowledge with AI. You cannot compete on soft skills."
Creativity, communication and empathy remain difficult to automate. For Laurens, those qualities will become increasingly valuable as cybersecurity grows more integrated into everyday business operations. The strongest professionals will not necessarily be those who know the most. They will be the ones who can help others understand why it matters.
Why HSD Campus?
For a company focused on bringing people together, HSD Campus feels like a natural home.
The campus brings together startups, scale-ups, government organisations, knowledge institutions and cybersecurity specialists who are all working towards a more secure digital future. That concentration of expertise creates opportunities that are difficult to find elsewhere.
"It's important to be in an ecosystem where like-minded people can help each other."
The location itself also plays a role. The Hague has established itself as the cybersecurity capital of the Netherlands and one of Europe's leading centres for digital security, innovation and resilience.
For Cyber Security Recruitment BV, being surrounded by organisations that share similar ambitions creates the ideal environment to build the next phase of the platform.
As Laurens puts it: "The Hague is the city of peace, justice and security. Being here with Cyber Security Recruitment BV just makes sense."
Looking ahead
Cyber Security Recruitment BV is entering a new chapter. The organisation is moving beyond its roots in recruitment and investing in something broader: a European platform built around knowledge sharing, entrepreneurship and community. It is an ambitious goal, but one that feels like a natural next step.
After all, the story of Cyber Security Recruitment BV has never really been about recruitment alone. From cycling across continents to building communities within cybersecurity, Laurens has always been motivated by the same idea: connecting people and creating opportunities.
As Europe continues to invest in its digital future, he hopes Cyber Security Recruitment BV can play a small but meaningful role in bringing that ecosystem closer together.
Because if Europe wants a stronger cybersecurity ecosystem, it won't be built by technology alone. It will be built by the people willing to connect it.
