A Growing and Diversifying Community
The Coalition continued its strong membership growth, with the number of members increasing by almost 14% in 2025, a positive trend that has carried forward into early 2026. Growth is driven primarily by SMEs, while the number of associate members is also increasing. This evolution confirms the Coalition’s role as a broad, inclusive platform connecting large organisations, SMEs, academia, government and healthcare.
High Engagement Through Events and Experience Sharing
2025 was marked by exceptionally high participation in Coalition activities. This was partly driven by additional flagship events, including:
- the 10th anniversary of the Coalition,
- International Women’s Day 2025, organised with Women4Cyber Belgium,
- and the event marking 25 Years of Cyber Justice.
Longstanding experience-sharing formats such as GRC: Be Connected!, the Application Security Experience Sharing, and the highly rated BE-CYBER Experience Sharing Day (Coffee Edition) continued to deliver strong value to members. Gender diversity among speakers also showed a clear and positive improvement.
Focus Groups Delivering Tangible Outputs
Several focus groups produced concrete and actionable results. Highlights include:
- the Cryptography Focus Group, which co-authored the whitepaper Preparing for the Quantum Era in collaboration with Quantum Circle, preparing organisations for post-quantum challenges;
- the Cyber Incident Detection & Response Focus Group, which delivered two practical playbooks on ransomware and third-party breaches, with additional playbooks on DDoS attacks and data leaks already underway.
Based on ecosystem developments, the Cybersecurity for Hospitals Focus Group will be phased out following the rise of specialised initiatives such as SHIELD.
Awareness, Talent and Societal Impact Remain Core Pillars
Awareness and resilience-building remain at the heart of the Coalition’s mission. In 2025, this included:
- continued support for the national awareness campaign of the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium, focused on investment fraud;
- active involvement in the National Anti-Fraud Coordination Board;
- support for Cyber XP Belgium, offering SMEs immersive cyber incident simulations across the country.
The Coalition also strengthened its role in talent development, supporting initiatives such as the Cyber Security Challenge Belgium, Capture-the-Flag competitions, and scholarships for women pursuing advanced cybersecurity education.
Strong Visibility, Partnerships and Member Satisfaction
The Coalition’s visibility continued to grow, reaching a record 16,000 followers on LinkedIn. Communication channels such as the Cyber Pulse newsletter, the Cyber Security Coalition podcast, and media partnerships with Mediaplanet and Computable further amplified member impact.
Strategic partnerships remain a cornerstone, notably with ISACA Belgium Chapter and Guberna, strengthening dialogue with board members on governance and fiduciary responsibility for cyber risks. Results from the biennial member satisfaction survey confirm strong engagement, with the Board committed to acting on feedback received.
Financial Resilience Despite a Challenging Context
Despite the absence of federal subsidies in 2025, the Coalition remains financially healthy:
- total income reached €860k, driven entirely by the private sector;
- total assets amounted to €980k, with a strong equity position of €821k;
- the operating deficit of €78k is manageable in light of the Coalition’s solid cash position and exceptional one-off anniversary costs.
The 2026 budget, approved by the General Assembly, aims for a near break-even result, with cautious assumptions regarding subsidies and event revenues, and a strong focus on operational continuity.
Leadership Transition and Good Governance
A major milestone of the General Assembly was the transition of the Chair of the Board. After nearly ten years of leadership, Jan De Blauwe handed over the chairmanship to Karine Goris (Belfius), ensuring continuity through a carefully prepared transition. This moment underscored the Coalition’s commitment to good governance, renewal and collective leadership.
Looking Ahead: A Strong and Confident 2026
The outlook for 2026 is ambitious and forward-looking, with key moments including:
- the anniversary edition of BE-CYBER in September,
- the Belgium’s Cyber Security Awards, extended with a new Lifetime Achievement Award,
- continued experience-sharing events and member-driven projects,
- strengthened support for innovation, funding opportunities and ecosystem collaboration.
The General Assembly confirmed that the Cyber Security Coalition enters 2026 as a mature, credible and future-oriented organisation, ready to continue strengthening Belgium’s cyber resilience together with its members.
Download the presentation of Chair Jan De Blauwe here:
