We are pleased to open applications for the Ransomware Defence Summer Bootcamp, a two-week, intensive program in Amsterdam, The Netherlands for graduate students building practical skills to analyse, defend, and respond to ransomware threats.

About the program

The Ransomware Defence Summer Bootcamp is a two-week intensive program for 100 graduate students from around the world. The program is free of charge and designed to provide students with the technical, analytical, and policy skills needed to understand ransomware and help organizations better protect themselves against ransomware threats.

Over the past five years, we have experienced a sharp rise in ransomware attacks, with incidents disrupting municipalities, healthcare providers, and key industrial sectors. These attacks have revealed deep vulnerabilities in local organizations that often lack the resources to prepare for or respond effectively to cyber incidents.

This bootcamp gives students the tools and experience to help such organizations strengthen their defences. Through a mix of lectures, workshops, and hands-on projects, participants will learn how to detect, respond to, and mitigate ransomware attacks — and how to communicate effectively with affected organizations.

Curriculum and Format

The program combines structured morning sessions with applied afternoon work.

• Morning sessions feature lectures and panel discussions by leading experts from academia, industry, and government.
• Afternoon sessions focus on practical projects with real community organizations, such as:
  • Running phishing simulations to improve staff awareness;
  • Conducting tabletop exercises to test incident-response readiness;
  • Developing decryptor libraries and victim-support materials;
  • Performing network scans to identify vulnerabilities

Lectures and workshops take place at the Amsterdam Business School, with additional optional evening activities – including informal discussion sessions, quiz nights, and community events.

Read more about the bootcamp and apply here.

The Ransomware Defence Summer Bootcamp forms part of the Google.org Cybersecurity Seminars program, which has been successfully implemented across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East and is now being launched in the Netherlands by Virtual Routes.