<Q4 2024>

In August, Brandaris Cybersecurity was officially founded. The practical foundation was set up immediately: administration, insurance, Microsoft 365, and the first partnerships. Existing clients transitioned to Brandaris, ensuring movement and revenue from day one. The first office was also found and secured.

After that, everything revolved around starting up and shaping the brand. Ongoing projects continued while Brandaris gained more visibility. We deliberately sought local connections through Ondernemend Dijk en Waard and engaged a marketing agency for branding and communication.

By the end of September, everything came togetherthe brand was established. Early October marked the official launch, including a giveaway to boost Brandaris’ visibility. At the same time, we moved into our office—a crucial step after a year of mostly working from home. Internally, we made choices to work smarter by implementing an ERP system for projects, time tracking, quotes, and invoicing. The team also grew with the addition of Nick—exciting but necessary.

The giveaway exceeded expectations. No lighthouse tour, but with a social twist: every entry meant a donation via DoesGoed, adding extra meaning to the campaign.

In the final months of the year, the focus shifted to visibility and substance: networking, joining Into Business, working on the website, and delivering the first Brandaris assessment. December brought momentum: events, yellow hoodies at Cloud Expo, the first Christmas package, and new collaborations. At the last minute, more clients came on board, setting the stage for a strong start to 2025. And it did.

<Q1 2025>

January started with an important step: Nick officially joined Brandaris. That brought tension. Hiring an employee just two months into entrepreneurship takes courage. Go Big or Go Home sounds bold, but at this stage it feels more like responsibility. Nick immediately took on his first project, and we delivered our first advisory report, which was well received by the client.

In parallel, he began one of his first fundamental tasks: setting up our ISMS. Not a visible action, but a deliberate investment in how we wanted to work. That foundation is already paying off and will help us achieve ISO 27001 certification in the first half of 2026.

We also recorded a podcast with Jolanda from Bureau Hoofdstuk about employment conditions and the market, and continued active networking.

In February, the focus shifted to content and visibility. Through Cybermeister, we helped a major Dutch organisation tackle a complex spam issue. Knowledge on this topic was limited in the Netherlands, which made it all the more interesting. We were interviewed by DoesGoed, hosted our first webinar together with Rapid7, and later that month delivered a technical demo of Automox.

At the same time, we prepared the HackShield classroom competition with the Municipality of Alkmaar and Ronduit Onderwijs. In total, 23 classes competed to improve digital resilience through play. A project where everything came together: expertise, social impact, and collaboration.

March was all about building further. We recorded our second podcast, this time at the invitation of Gruzzy, about focus and the ideal project. In addition, everything revolved around networking, brand awareness, and depth. Together with new partner Armis, we organised two webinars and strengthened our position.

<Q2 2025>

In April, our role became more visible beyond our own bubble. Maikel gave a guest lecture to nearly one hundred Year 11 students at Regius College in Schagen on critical thinking and online identity. We organised a new online workshop on email security and a technical demo of Armis. At the same time, we helped an SME entrepreneur who had completely lost access to her email due to cybercrime. Together, we recovered her tenant and restored control over her IT.

May was all about strengthening. The office became more recognisable with our logo on the wall. We worked on partnerships with local IT companies to deepen their services. A photographer visited for Into Business, and we aligned the accompanying article. In addition, we organised another webinar on email security and actually reaching the inbox.

In June, the focus shifted to scale and social impact. Commissioned by the municipalities of Alkmaar, Haarlem and Purmerend, we began developing content for the Digital Helper: accessible, practical and free. At the same time, we saw our baseline assessments gaining traction. What started with one quickly grew into several in a short time, all leading to follow-up projects. We ran test scenarios in CyberMaster, an interactive incident game, and closed the month with DoesGoed in Action. With the whole team, we rolled up our sleeves at a historic shipyard in Broek op Langedijk.

<Q3 2025>

Q3 started with a moment of pause. With the first CTRL+ALT+RELAX, we deliberately closed the quarter by reflecting on what had happened internally while creating space for relaxation. During this period, we joined Cyberveilig Nederland and said goodbye to Petra Oldegram. Behind the scenes, we worked hard on onboarding a major client who, as of August, entrusted a significant part of their operational security to us. We also held the first conversations with Chantal and Sem, and Sem signed his employment contract.

Summer didn’t bring rest it brought reality. The new client went live. Technically, it went well, but it demanded something new from the team. Alongside planned projects, ad-hoc work emerged. Switching gears took some getting used to. At the same time, we began to notice that our office was becoming too small and cautiously started exploring the next step. We recorded a podcast with HackShield about the classroom competition, celebrated our one-year anniversary at Pluim, and welcomed Melvin as co-owner of Brandaris.

In September, that growth became tangible. Sem officially started, and suddenly we were four. We carried out another baseline assessment and made the decision to move. What seemed like it would take months quickly became concrete with a location that met all our requirements. Internally, we continued to grow: we concluded that our ticketing system no longer matched the volume and dynamics. Externally, visibility remained high with a lunch session at Ondernemend Dijk en Waard, a Rapid7 customer day, a contribution at Business Women NH, and participation in the DoesGoed initiative Ge-Bakkie.

<Q4 2025>

Q4 started with growth at the table. During the second CTRL+ALT+RELAX, there were six of us. Chantal had joined, Sem was fully on board, and through JOC Alkmaar we began collaborating with Roan. Her background in hospitality brought a fresh perspective on relationship development. In October, she called entrepreneurs to raise awareness about the Mijn Cyberweerbare Zaak subsidy.

On 9 October, everything accelerated. The moving truck arrived, and we moved into our new office much earlier than planned. It came with some learning costs, but it felt like the right decision. The space called for new furnishings and plans. At the same time, Maikel travelled abroad for a week to deepen collaboration with a client and refine the product. Naturally, we were also present at the DoesGoed Festival.

In November, the office increasingly became a place to learn and share. We ordered new furniture, including a large table for the training room just in time for the launch of the Digital Helper materials. That month, Maikel travelled to the United States for a Pax8 event with Guardz and a visit to the Miami office. Together with Roan, he also dressed up as Piet to deliver 150 chocolate letters to clients and partners.

December was all about finishing and making the space our own. The office regained its distinctive look with colour, logo, and branding. We reflected together during CTRL+ALT-XMAS, created our own Christmas package, and closed the year with new collaborations and preparations for the New Year’s reception. Maikel also went on a work visit to Spain with a client.

<Closing WORDS>

What a year. This reflection turned out longer than planned and is still not complete. But it shows what 2025 truly was: growth, searching, making mistakes, adjusting, and sometimes winning. We learned that no one runs faster just because of a revenue target. And we saw how something small—like the race to 1,024 LinkedIn followers—can suddenly spark energy and momentum.Making an impact together.

That’s what drives us and why we do this. And we’ll keep doing it in 2026—with the same curiosity, a little more experience, and the same goal in mind.Until the day in 2034 when we can say we’ve helped 1,000 organisations become more digitally resilient.

Thank you, 2025. Hello, 2026!