Overview
Simon Bauwens is co-founder and CEO of OutKept, a Belgian Cybersecurity startup providing a phishing simulation platform supported by a community of ethical phishers to enhance organizational security awareness.
Simon Bauwens is the co-founder and chief executive of OutKept, which he co-founded in March 2020. He is based in Ghent.
Between September 2020 and December 2021 he worked as a freelance consultant for Elia Group. He was a manager at Kearney from January 2019 to February 2020, and co-founded ProRobotics in July 2018, remaining with it until February 2021. Earlier he was a consultant at Arthur D. Little from January 2016 to December 2018, following a summer internship at HOMT in 2015 and an international MBA at IE Business School, from which he graduated in 2015.
From July 2012 to June 2014 he was at Teatro Real, where he was assistant to artistic director Gerard Mortier and head of the youth department. He began his career at the cultural management agency C-Zuur, where he was production manager from November 2009 to August 2012. He holds a master's degree in sociology from Ghent University, completed in 2009.
Career history
Media & appearances
- All Colors of CommunicationYouTubeAll Colors vraagt door - SIMON BAUWENS - Co-founder bij OutkeptSimon Bauwens discusses how Outkept operates as a platform that sends phishing emails for educational purposes to help people learn to recognize and respond to phishing threats, noting that cybersecurity measures have made actual phishing emails rare.
- Infinigate BelgiumYouTubeInfinigate NXT: Ep. 14 - Let's talk phishing: In conversation with Simon BauwensSimon Bauwens discusses how he and his co-founder Dieter started Outkept four years ago to address the growing phishing threat, initially building a product and then developing an ethical hacker community model to scale their efforts. He explains that phishing has become more professionalized and automated, with tools and email databases now available cheaply on the dark web, and that AI is accelerating these attacks by enabling convincing emails without deep target knowledge.
- Suyin & MalysterYouTubeS5.A3 : Simon Bauwens - Co-founder OutKept (Powered by Akkodis)Simon Bauwens discusses OutKept, an ethical phishing platform that helps organizations protect against ransomware and phishing attacks by using a community of ethical hackers to conduct realistic simulation training. He explains that phishing involves stealing data through deceptive means, often starting with misleading emails that trick people into compromising information or money, and distinguishes it from hacking, which focuses on breaking into systems.
In the news
- Looking for a new colleague to support building Noon Security! Link in comments!
- Big news! OutKept is joining Aikido Security to launch Noon Security, the modern workforce security platform! 🚀 Since 2020, we have protected 250,000+ users across 1,000+ organisations in 118 countries with OutKept. But AI changed the game: attacks now span email, calls, SMS and apps, and email simulations alone can’t cover that anymore. With Noon we are going to do something about that. Noon is one platform to secure inboxes, protect devices, govern AI use and train your people, so everyone is secure by Noon → noon.security
- Today we’re launching Noon, the modern workforce security platform from Aikido 🌞. We started Aikido Security to make securing software radically simpler for developers. But companies don't just need to protect the software they build. They also need to protect their biggest asset (and attack surface): people. AI has made phishing cheaper, faster, and more convincing than ever. Attackers can clone a colleague’s voice, craft highly targeted messages, and launch sophisticated attacks across email, SMS, and chat at scale. Meanwhile,
- Hello from the ONE Conference in The Hague 🙌 Looking forward to say hello to our Dutch OutKept partners and friends here (👋 Vallem, Phantom'sLab, S2GRUPO,..) and deep-dive into the latest in cybersecurity: no sales pitches, practical examples and speakers with opinions. If you are around today or tomorrow, send me a DM, let’s grab ☕️ and a stroopwafel! #cybersecurity #phishing #phishingsimulations #cyberawareness #oneconference #denhaag
- Very fun interview by Mackenzie for this podcast The Secure Disclosure. Thanks for hosting me Mackenzie Jackson!
- Full house at Savaco Inspire at Wintercircus Ghent! Long time OutKept partner Savaco / Savaco One | IT voor kmo’s is hosting this event every year, to talk about the latest in IT, with a very pragmatic approach. 🤖 A lot about of talk about AI this year, not just on stage. Where to start? How can you use it? How can you use it safely? How can AI help us to work safely? Beyond the buzz words are very practical questions that everyone is trying to answer for themselves. Great to see this serious effort to bring people
- Back in Belgium, after quite a bit of time in Poland this summer. A few highlights: 🤝 Time well spent with Polish OutKept partners! Very much enjoyed meeting up with Dotlogic Sp z o.o. In Gdynia for lunch by the sea, and reviewing encompassing cybersecurity approach for SMB in Warsaw with Support Online Sp. z o.o. (Webinar coming soon!) 📍 Discussed the importance of localisation in phishing simulations as well as ecosystem approach for successful delivery of campaigns in Poland, and of course: NIS2 🇺🇦 Built
- Careful with the QR codes on parking- or other vending machines. QR codes should first lead to the vendor’s website, not immediately to a payment page. Ideally go directly to a parking app on your phone and settle your payment like that. Or pay by card at the machine 💳
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