Dutch Program Aims to Deter Young Hackers Before They Commit Crimes
Police initiative informs young people about hacking laws and alternative ways to use their skills
Staff of the Dutch National Police’s Cyber Offender Prevention Squad. Pictured from left to right: Wouter Klijnsoon, Barry van Kampen, Floor Jansen, Gregory Francis and Lieske Zonderland. Photo: Dutch National Police By Dec. 21, 2020 5:30 am ET
Floor Jansen, a Dutch police officer who worked on drug smuggling and organized crime until a few years ago, is on a mission to reform teenage hackers. Ms. Jansen joined the Dutch National Police’s high-tech crime unit in 2012 and started working with young hackers in 2018, intervening after they are prosecuted for their first crime. Instead of prison or community-service sentences, she offers some a program, called Hack Right, to learn about cybersecurity and help them stay out of trouble. Catching hacker