OZON 2025: A crisis exercise for universities of applied sciences
During OZON 2025, 90 institutes in the Netherlands took part in an exercise based on a fictional scenario in which a peaceful student protest by the activist group Eenheid Opstand Beweging (EOB) escalated into a cyber crisis. The aim of this sector-wide exercise was to prepare institutes for crisis situations by testing cooperation, communication and decision-making.
- About BUas
Active BUas involvement
At BUas, 25 colleagues actively participated, while 15 others helped behind the scenes to make the exercise realistic. The scenario, including a fictional petition and rumours about a suspicious plug-in, involved digital threats such as a DDoS attack. Media attention also played a major role: students from various study programmes acted as journalists, and the crisis teams had to respond adequately to phone calls, social media reactions, and fictional news articles.
Learning and adapting at lightning speed
The BUas crisis team was surprised by an actual visit from the activist group, which made the scenario even more intense. The combination of internal chaos, external threats, and media pressure forced institutes to adapt quickly and work together effectively. The scenario underlined the importance of clear direction and coordination with other institutes and industry organisations.
Why participate in OZON?
By participating in OZON 2025, BUas was able to test and improve its crisis procedures and decision-making processes. The scenario showed that a crisis extends beyond the organisation's own walls and that cooperation between departments and external partners is essential.
Stronger together
This year, the exercise was broader in scope comprising four days instead of two, and sectors such as senior secondary vocational education (mbo), higher professional education (hbo), university education (wo) and university medical/research centres each had their own exercise day. The week ended with a multi-sectoral tabletop exercise. This set-up emphasised the importance of collectivity and cooperation. According to Ron Augustus, chair of the SURF supervisory board, resilience requires cooperation, and OZON provides a strong example of this in practice.
Evaluation and improvements
The results of the exercise will be evaluated by SURF and BUas. The goal is to share key lessons and insights and to further strengthen crisis strategies.
