Hacked: When Cyberattacks Hit Your Business

Dr. Niklas Richter · 2026-07-02

It's not a matter of if your business will be hacked, but when. That's the hard truth Keanu Nys, Head of Offensive Security at Spotit, wants every entrepreneur to understand. In a recent conversation, he shared real-world stories that'll make you rethink every email, link, and meeting you schedule. ### A Self-Taught Hacker on the Big Stage Keanu didn't study IT. He taught himself to hack. Today, companies hire him to break into their systems before real criminals do. In 2025, he stood on the main stage of DEF CON in Las Vegas, the world's largest hacker conference, speaking to 3,000 people. His topic? A security flaw he found in Microsoft's own login page. ### How a Pentest Really Works A penetration test, or pentest, is like a fire drill for your digital security. Ethical hackers like Keanu try to find weaknesses before attackers do. But here's the thing: technology isn't always the weakest link. Sometimes, the IT guy himself disables security because the CEO urgently needs to open a document. It's a human problem, not just a tech one. ### The Fake Inspector Trick Keanu once posed as a fake RSZ inspector (Belgian social security official) to compromise a CFO and their IT team at the same time. He almost logged into the Facebook account of a former Belgian prime minister. And after a legal hack project, he even received an official citation from the government. These stories show how creative and persistent attackers can be. ### What AI Changes Artificial intelligence is changing the game. Keanu's tool, GraphSpy, is used by thousands of ethical hackers worldwide. But it's also sometimes misused by real attackers. The question every entrepreneur should ask themselves: if your systems are fully encrypted on Monday morning and criminals demand 5% of your annual revenue, do you pay or not? ### Your First Step Keanu's most important tip isn't about buying a specific tool. It's about taking one simple step tomorrow to find out how vulnerable you really are. You don't need to be a tech expert to start. Just be willing to face the truth. ### Why This Matters This conversation changes how you look at every email, every link, and every meeting you plan. It's about understanding that security isn't just an IT problem—it's a business problem. And the cost of ignoring it is far higher than the cost of preparing. For more episodes, visit the original podcast site. Subscribe and give five stars if you find these conversations valuable. Thanks to our partners: Teamleader and Victus Sales. Download their free sales guide at victussales.be/ondernemer.