Eddy Willems Explained

Eddy Willems
Birth Date:1962
Fields:Author
Information security
Malware
Alma Mater:IHRB Anderlecht
Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Eddy Willems (born 1962), is a Belgian computer security expert and author of security blogs and books, active in international computer security organizations and as a speaker at information security-related events.

Career

Eddy Willems has been a security evangelist at German security software specialist G Data Software since the beginning of 2010.[1] He is involved in anti-malware and security research, consultancy, training and communication programs with press, resellers and end-users, as a security evangelist.

He started his career as a systems analyst in 1984, and while working at an insurance company he was challenged in 1989 by a Trojan incident, in fact a very early version of ‘ransomware’ malware, the AIDS Trojan Horse. His system got infected by inserting a (5.25’’) floppy with ‘aids/HIV’-related information (a questionnaire), resulting in a lock down of his system and a request to pay $189.[2] Figuring out how to get around this malware kindled Eddy Willems’ interest in computer viruses and resulted in a well received solution for this Trojan malware. Furthermore, it kick started his anti-virus and anti-malware career. Ever since, Eddy Willems compiles and maintains a reference library on the subject of viruses and malware.

Eddy Willems developed his career as security specialist initially at an insurance company (De Vaderlandsche – today part of P&V), followed by an added value distributor of security products (anti-virus expert at NOXS - a Westcon Group company) and at security software specialist Kaspersky Lab (Benelux, security evangelist).[3]

As his expertise grew, Eddy Willems joined international computer security organizations. In 1991, he became a founding father of EICAR (the European Institute for Computer Anti-Virus Research).[4] In 1995, he joined Joe Wells’ Virus Wildlist, reporting for Belgium, Luxembourg & for EICAR Europe. In May 2005, he became a board member of EICAR, as director of Press and Information. In 2009, he took up the position of director for Security AV Industry Relationships.[5] In 2010, Eddy Willems became a member and PR officer of AMTSO, the Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization, joining its board in May 2012.[6]

In Belgium, Eddy Willems was a member of the first government initiated e-security team, on the website of the telecom regulator BIPT-IBPT.[7] In 2015, he joined the board of LSEC – Leaders in Security, an association grouping security companies active in Belgium and EU.[8]

Eddy Willems is active on the speakers circuit, with presentations for companies and consumers, as well as at conferences (see Publications section).[9] [10] .[11] [12]

He has been asked for comments and opinions by radio and TV-stations, both international (CNN,[13] Al Jazeera[14]) and national (Belgium: VRT,[15] VTM[16]), and national newspapers (De Standaard,[17] De Morgen[18]). Eddy Willems regularly publishes opinions in ict-magazines, as Data News (Belgium)[19] and ZDnet.be.[20]

Education

Publications

Personal

Eddy Willems is married and has a son.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: G Data Benelux breidt team uit met Security Evangelist Eddy Willems (Dutch). 20 October 2020 .
  2. Web site: 'We may think of ransomware as a modern invention, but the genius idea at the centre of it dates back more than two decades'.
  3. Web site: 'Eddy Willems stapt over naar G Data' (Dutch). 16 February 2010 .
  4. The Winds Of Change - Updates To The EICAR Test File (Article) . Willems . Eddy . June 2003 . Virus Bulletin .
  5. Web site: EICAR Board retrieved July 11th 2017. 2017-07-31. 2018-09-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20180920194909/http://www.eicar.org/16-0-Eicar-Board.html. dead.
  6. Web site: AMTSO Board retrieved July 11th 2017. 2017-07-31. 2017-11-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20171105052656/http://www.amtso.org/board/. dead.
  7. Web site: 'Vreselijkste superworm ooit' bedreigt miljoenen computers (Dutch). 13 August 2003 .
  8. Web site: LSEC Board retrieved July 11th 2017.
  9. Web site: BIO Eddy Willems ReadMyLips Website - Public Speaker.
  10. Web site: Virus Bulletin Conference 2005 Teach your children well (Paper).
  11. Web site: Virus bulletin Conference 2010 Attacks from the Inside (Paper).
  12. Web site: Test Files and Product Evaluation: the Case for and against Malware Simulation (Paper). 2 November 2013 . AVAR Conference 2010 .
  13. Web site: CNN Transcript Interview Richard Quest with Eddy Willems: The Cloud and Security.
  14. Web site: Appearances International Media.
  15. Web site: VRT Radio Search. https://web.archive.org/web/20170731104002/https://radio1.be/zoeken/eddy%20willems. dead. July 31, 2017.
  16. Web site: VTM news - Cyberattack in Belgium.
  17. Web site: De Standaard Newspaper Eddy Willems Search.
  18. Web site: De Morgen Newspaper - WannaCry comments.
  19. Web site: DataNews opinions by Eddy Willems.
  20. Web site: ZDNet Belgium opinions by Eddy Willems.
  21. Web site: 'Cyberdanger' informs general audience of IT security . Grooten . Martijn . 24 February 2014 . Virus Bulletin. 15 August 2017.
  22. Web site: Cybergevaar (first book by Eddy Willems). 11 August 2015 .
  23. Book: Cybergefahr (second book by Eddy Willems - translation and update of the original 'Cybergevaar').