This sporty colleague is not only a connecting factor between departments and our clients, but also has a critical eye on all processes within the company. His continuous drive for improvement has led to significant progress within Shock Media. Of course, I’m talking about… Timo! In this blog, I’d like to introduce him to you.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m Timo Feenstra, now 32 years old, born and raised in Almelo. Together with my lovely girlfriend (now fiancée) and our 4-year-old son, I love going out to discover beautiful things. In the evenings and weekends, I’m currently spending a lot of time renovating our new house to turn it into a little palace, and I must say, it’s going pretty well. I also enjoy being active, whether it’s playing speedsoccer against clients and partners or a competitive game of table tennis against colleagues during our shared break. As a true football fan, I also love watching or going to Heracles Almelo!
How did you end up at Shock Media?
During my Security Management studies at Saxion in Apeldoorn, I started my own webshop. Through the developer of that webshop, I ended up at Shock Media for hosting. The professionalism and image of Shock Media stood out to me, and when it came time for my graduation internship, I immediately inquired about a position there.
I really enjoyed the culture at Shock Media, and my research into the risk management process there actually had a real impact on the company. After graduating, I had a brief stint in IT consultancy, but ultimately I felt the pull to return to Shock Media. This time, in the role of Information Security Officer—a choice I haven’t regretted for a second!
What did you do/study before this?
I studied ICT Management at the ROC in Hengelo. After earning my diploma, I started working in a computer shop. In the years that followed, I spent a lot of time figuring out what truly suited me. As a result, I gained very broad knowledge and experience, which comes in handy in my role at Shock Media.
What exactly does your role entail?
As Information Security Officer at Shock Media, no two days are the same and my range of responsibilities is extremely broad. For example, I am responsible for managing the management systems in relation to our ISO 27001, NEN 7510, and ISO 9001 certifications, and I draft policies and procedures regarding information security and quality.
I collaborate closely with the various departments within Shock to ensure the security and continuity of our infrastructure and systems. For example, we ensure environments meet the proper standards, continuously assess and patch vulnerabilities, oversee the correct level of access management, and handle incidents appropriately. We also continuously research and implement new improvements in the field of information security. Fortunately, we have a lot of technical knowledge in-house and work with innovative techniques and tooling to achieve this. This might even be the best part of my job, because it allows you to really make a difference for Shock Media and our clients.
Another very challenging aspect of my job is helping clients with their issues. I regularly have intensive contact with clients to ensure our services meet their requirements, needs, and challenges. In this way, we truly become an extension of the client. They can fully focus on their own business, while we provide all their hosting tailored to their needs. Of course, we also brainstorm with them to ensure the best possible collaboration. I monitor performance for these clients and assist them with complex issues.
What is the secret to being a good Information Security Officer?
I think it’s especially important for an Information Security Officer to understand all interests involved and incorporate them into your risk assessment and security approach. On the other hand, you also need to be able to explain measures very clearly to stakeholders, both internally and to clients. A good Information Security Officer is, I believe, socially skilled, but at the same time somewhat paranoid.
How do you keep up with developments in the sector?
In IT, it’s extremely important to stay up to date with developments. I do this by actively participating in various online forums in my field, following the right people on social media like Twitter, and discussing a lot with colleagues and peers. In addition, we organize a knowledge session every month and at Shock Media you have the opportunity to make use of a generous education budget!
Which developments in the sector do you think we should keep an eye on?
This might be a bit obvious, but the various applications of Artificial Intelligence-related techniques and machine learning are, in my view, important developments. They bring huge threats, but just as many opportunities! I’m very curious to see how this will develop in the coming years and what implications it will have for cybersecurity.
You also regularly supervise graduates at Shock Media. How do you find that?
I really enjoy supervising students during their graduation projects. On one hand, it allows you to research a relevant topic that you might not otherwise have enough time for yourself. On the other hand, it’s also great to contribute to the development of a student in the final phase of their studies. Plus, it’s always a good way to get to know each other for a potential role at Shock Media after graduation!
Do you see yourself working at Shock Media? Check out our vacancies page. Curious about our other colleagues? Then read our other blogs.
