How the NCSC and the DTC are building a shared identity for one national cybersecurity organization with Highberg

“How do we make sure that culture becomes a lever of this merger, and not its Achilles’ heel?” With that challenge, the NCSC turned to the market in search of a partner to guide them through the transition to a new, larger, and composite organization.

In 2022, the government mandated the merging of the NCSC, the Digital Trust Center (DTC), and the national Computer Security Incident Response Team for digital services (CSIRT-DSP). The aim was to reduce fragmentation in the cybersecurity system and deploy scarce expertise as efficiently as possible.

“Our shared mission is to strengthen the digital resilience of the Netherlands,” explains transition manager Dora Horjus. “But in a world where digital threats are growing exponentially, European legislation in this field is becoming stronger, and national security increasingly has a cyber dimension, the NCSC faces a challenge larger and more complex than ever before. That is why this merger brings together people, knowledge, networks, and systems,” says Dora.

The new, strengthened NCSC serves a large group of public and private organizations and is expected to grow to around 600 employees by 2028. Dora: “As an executive organization, the NCSC mainly focused on a few hundred vital organizations, in line with its mandate. But starting in 2026, that number will expand significantly: by around 8,000 organizations due to new legislation, and more than 2 million additional companies as a result of the merger.”

The DTC already operates as a knowledge and advisory center for entrepreneurial Netherlands, while CSIRT-DSP specifically focuses on strengthening the digital resilience of digital service providers. With the merger, that knowledge of target groups and the established relationships will now become part of the organization. Dora: “And we need that, because the new NCSC must be able to act quickly and at scale with a wide variety of stakeholders.”

The upcoming merger also requires a strong, shared culture in which people from three different organizations can work together as one, and in which the existing cultures reach a new stage of “maturity.” Dora: “So, this is much more than a merger or a legal consolidation. We are growing into a future-proof organization with a shared identity – both internally and externally – with a leadership team that leads the way in change. An organization that is above all agile and professional. That is why we looked for a partner with whom we could build a new culture that fits this vision, and who was willing to shape this journey together with us along the way.”

After a public tender, Highberg was selected as the partner. According to Dora, the decisive factor in choosing this firm was their ability to work both theoretically, with a solid vision on culture and change, and hands-on.

“We believe that change is only sustainable if people do it themselves,” says Anne de Brouwer, a Highberg consultant involved in this project. “Change doesn’t happen on paper, but in daily practice.” This pragmatic approach was one of the reasons why the NCSC chose Highberg.

Dora: “The thorough yet participative approach – working together with colleagues – fits well with the organization’s ambition to be both analytically sharp and impactful as well as pragmatic. Highberg also understands that cultural change is only sustainable if the approach is honest, realistic, and applicable in everyday practice.”

The first step was to create a ‘snapshot’, a thorough cultural diagnosis of the current and desired state of affairs, while incorporating the perspectives of all employees from the different organizations.

Anne: “In every project, we first pause at ‘what is’ before we can build toward ‘what will be.’ Often, there are already many good things to build on, and at the same time, there are things that need to be let go in order to move to the next phase. When we bring this to the surface, we can work with it. And that is essential for sustainable change. If we don’t incorporate from the start what exists and what can remain, as well as what we need to release, we often face delays further down the process.”

This meant that Highberg, Dora’s transition team, and the management team first had to explore how people currently experience the culture, which values are present, and what employees see as the desired culture of the renewed organization. They also needed to assess the organization’s change capacity and willingness to change.

Such a cultural assessment serves as a shared starting point, ensuring that the transformation is not based on assumptions but on real insights from within the organization itself. Anne: “Only then can we purposefully work on behavioral change and cultural development that truly aligns with practice.”

The first analysis provided valuable insights. Anne: “The NCSC, and also the DTC, has a strong family culture in which employees feel connected to the organization’s mission, where the work atmosphere is informal and engagement is high, and where everyone can be themselves. We also found that there is a lot of appreciation for the existing work environment and that loyalty to the mission of the organization is strong.”

Dora: “Our colleagues at DTC and NCSC are naturally very driven, curious, and inquisitive. The willingness to change was therefore high. Altogether, these are excellent starting points for this cultural and broader transformation process. This is especially important because both employees and management expressed the desire to shift towards a stronger external focus and orientation. To get there, it is necessary to encourage behaviors such as ownership, decisiveness, and result-oriented action.”

The existing culture has taken the NCSC far, especially in its early years, founded in 2012, when pioneering and building together were central. Anne: “We definitely want to continue cherishing these existing elements of the culture.”

At the same time, Dora acknowledges that the current culture has also caused people to be too inward-looking. In light of the upcoming merger and the growing societal mandate, she therefore sees the need not to let go of that family culture, but to complement it with elements such as ownership, result-oriented action, and an external perspective. These are precisely the elements that stand out in the DTC culture. In this way, the two organizations complement each other.

Dora: “Where the NCSC has historically been more of a closed knowledge stronghold, it must now actively bring in knowledge and signals from the outside in order to remain relevant. That means we must constantly extend our antennas to what is happening among the thousands of companies and partners in the cyber ecosystem. This requires a mindset shift.”

A crucial step in the process was forming a leading coalition. In this, Highberg, the NCSC, and the DTC, who closely collaborate throughout the entire trajectory, chose not only to involve formal leaders but also informal influencers from the three different organizations. In total, they brought together 25 formal managers and about 30 informal ambassadors into a collective to drive the cultural transformation.

Anne: “By not only informing these people but truly making them co-owners of the process, a broad foundation for change emerges. The coalition works across departmental and organizational boundaries and takes the first steps toward a shared identity. Employees recognize themselves in the message more quickly because it comes from colleagues in their own context rather than from above or from outsiders.”

According to Dora, this has been essential. “Precisely at the moments when different beliefs started to clash, the real conversations began. Where there was friction, that’s where the shine appeared,” she says. “That’s exactly where you saw the coalition and the collaboration with Highberg grow.”

Highberg takes the organization’s mission - working together on the digital resilience of the Netherlands - as the starting point for the culture and leadership program. Parallel to this cultural process, the mission was translated into a vision for the partly new tasks and roles of the public service organization.

Anne: “That means, very concretely, that together we look for which culture, and therefore which behaviors, are most desirable to fulfill that mission and mandate.” To ensure the desired change would become tangible, and not remain stuck in abstract ambitions, Highberg worked closely with the leading coalition on a behavioral manifesto.

Anne: “In interactive sessions, we searched for behaviors that shape the new organizational culture. We did this using clear ‘I + a verb’ descriptions. Think of: ‘I take ownership by keeping my commitments.’ A focus on creating value for the target group, acting decisively and proactively, fostering connection, collaborating, and taking ownership now form the pillars of this manifesto.”

Dora: “This makes clear which behaviors are supportive and desirable, the ones that will truly make a difference and to which every employee can contribute. Our leading coalition says: ‘If we show this behavior together, we will make the difference and move towards the culture we want.’ This manifesto is also increasingly forming the basis for ‘the good conversation’ within the organization, at both the team and individual levels. We are now also translating and embedding it further in, among other things, our recruitment strategy and leadership programs.”

Dora benoemt het manifest en de bijbehorende tiny habits als een keerpunt. “Het geeft medewerkers letterlijk woorden voor nieuw gedrag, waarmee de verandering handen en voeten krijgt”, legt ze uit. “En, belangrijker nog: het blijft niet bij formuleren alleen. Highberg introduceerde namelijk het idee van ‘tiny habits’, ofwel kleine gedragsveranderingen die medewerkers kunnen uitproberen in hun eigen werkpraktijk. Verandering begint klein en behapbaar. Zo wordt nieuw gedrag tastbaar en worden successen snel zichtbaar.” Deze aanpak werkt aanstekelijk. Anne: “Nu het gedragsmanifest er is, hebben we de leidende coalitie getraind om door middel van workshops elk team en elke medewerker met dit gedragsmanifest aan de slag te laten gaan, zodat het manifest tot leven komt op de werkvloer. Gamification en speelse werkvormen maken deze workshops licht en laagdrempelig en vergroten het lerend vermogen van medewerkers.” Dora: “Workshops waarin we nieuw gedrag oefenen en met elkaar bespreken brengen medewerkers uit de verschillende - soms nog nieuwe - teams met elkaar in contact. Zo leren ze elkaar alvast kennen en ontstaat er stap voor stap een nieuwe gedeelde taal. Overigens wordt niet alles anders, want het NCSC en DTC kenden ook al heel sterke cultuurelementen en vooral rituelen en tradities.”

Another important part of the process is leadership development. Leaders were not only given the behavioral manifesto but also worked together, with a group of formal leaders, on creating the leadership manifesto: a set of behaviors aligned with their role-model function and providing grounding for the behaviors from the behavioral manifesto.

Dora: “In addition, together with a group of formal leaders, we drafted the change story of the desired (cultural) transformation. With this, leaders created a shared understanding of the ‘why, what for, and where to’ of the change. In this way, they can bring their employees along in the transition process by speaking with one voice as a group of leaders, providing direction and clarity on the change.”

Anne: “When leaders tell a clear and consistent story, employees can step into it and better understand what to expect.”

In addition to all this, leaders have access to so-called ‘Golden Tickets,’ or vouchers that allow them to request targeted support from Highberg for individual coaching or team sessions. This tailored support has proven to be a valuable addition.

Dora: “Leaders can call in extra help precisely at the moments when the change process risks stalling. This allows them not only to grow themselves but also to better guide their teams. Even the works council has made use of this option, as they are an important stakeholder in any organizational change.”

According to Anne, this is where the strength of the approach lies: “You can tell leaders that they should set the right example, but if you don’t give them the right tools, it often remains just an intention. We make sure they can actually doit.”

The collaboration between the NCSC, DTC, and Highberg delivers not only visible results but also valuable insights. One of the lessons is that ownership is more than just taking responsibility.

Dora: “It also means recognizing when someone else is better positioned to take on a task than you are. With this broader understanding of ownership, it becomes possible to distribute responsibilities more flexibly and collaborate more effectively.”

A second insight is that you don’t need to dismantle an existing family culture, such as that of the NCSC, in order to create space for innovation. Dora: “The warm foundation of engagement, collegiality, and inclusivity actually turns out to be fertile ground for new behaviors to take root. Combined with stimuli that encourage external thinking and result orientation, this enables the new shared culture to truly take shape.”

In addition, focus turns out to be crucial. Dora: “In a knowledge-intensive organization like the NCSC, the tendency is strong to turn too many knobs at once. Highberg helps the organization keep returning to the few behaviors that really make the difference. That brings calm and direction to the organization.”

Another lesson is that you must start practicing tomorrow’s desired behavior today. Anne: “By testing what works through small experiments and carefully practicing the new behavior in advance, the gap between ambition and practice becomes bridgeable. In this way, leaders essentially travel the route from A to B via B. This approach gives many employees the confidence that the change is achievable.”

When a country’s digital security is at stake, you cannot afford for culture to be a limiting factor. With this collaboration with Highberg, the NCSC demonstrates that cultural change is not a “soft issue,” but a strategic matter. By investing in shared behavioral and leadership manifestos that serve as a compass for behavior, and by using practical methods and strengthened leadership, the organization takes control and shapes the desired cultural development from within.

Dora: “From the very beginning, there was support at the highest levels. We continuously acted along the axes of structure, culture, and leadership. Culture has consistently been seen as a critical success factor for change. As a transition manager, I’m very pleased about that.”

Anne: “Moreover, the NCSC does not choose a top-down approach but invests in ownership, a shared language, and behaviors and direction embraced across the entire organization. This strengthens its own change capacity and control—and with that, sustainable results.”

The first results of the process are already visible, but it’s still too early for broader conclusions.

Dora: “We are now about a year in. The behavioral and leadership manifestos are being used more and more often as a guide in meetings. And we’re practicing with the tiny habits. The leading coalition is also functioning as a connecting network between the NCSC, DTC, and CSIRT-DSP, which is immediately strengthening collaboration and connections between them. At the same time, more time is needed to truly bring the new culture to life. But the first steps have been taken.”

Anne: “That this time is needed is logical and characteristic of cultural development. It doesn’t happen overnight. Culture is always in motion and continuously evolving. Now that the organization has formulated a clear direction and has concrete tools to provide more guidance, it is building, step by step, every day toward realizing this vision in practice.”

Trust in the merger of the new organization has also grown. Anne: “Because employees recognize the change story in their own daily work, they feel part of the bigger whole. And the organization as a whole is becoming increasingly prepared for its new role: an agile, professional organization that can proactively address digital threats.”

According to Dora, that is the greatest gain: “As I said, we’re not finished yet, but we have now defined a solid foundation to move forward as one organization in early 2026. We have now aligned on what we stand for, how we want to work, and where we are heading. That is already a huge achievement. Every day, we are now essentially adding another piece to the future NCSC.”