In this episode of Cyber Security District, we sit down with Mischa van Geelen, one of the Netherlands’ most remarkable cybersecurity professionals. At just 13 years old, Mischa discovered a critical vulnerability at a major Dutch bank. By 15, he was the youngest full-time pen tester at a global consultancy. Now in his twenties, he’s already co-founded one of the top incident response firms in the country, served as TISO at leading payment institutions like iDEAL and European Payment Institute (EPI) and is gearing up to launch his next venture.

Mischa’s story is anything but ordinary. A self-taught hacker turned security strategist, he shares candid insights into the realities of incident response, the pitfalls of “watermelon compliance,” and why cybersecurity must be treated as a business enabler, not a sunk cost. Whether it’s rebuilding a college’s IT infrastructure after a massive ransomware attack or scaling a startup from scratch, Mischa combines technical brilliance with rare clarity on communication, compliance, and leadership.

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Whether you're a CISO, student, founder, or future threat analyst, this episode is packed with valuable lessons and honest reflections from someone who's lived cybersecurity from every angle and isn't done yet.

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