CRANIUM

Main service(s)

In 2024, CRANIUM spun out its security division. The new company is called Cingulum. CRANIUM itself will now focus on applied privacy and data management, while Cingulum will focus on GRC.

This company profile was written before the spin out and describes CRANIUM as the collective (CRANIUM and Cingulum).

Founded in 2016, CRANIUM has established itself as a specialised consulting firm, primarily operating in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Initially focusing on applied privacy, the company quickly added information security and data management to its core expertise. Today, it still delivers services in these 3 domains. From the CRANIUM website:

• Privacy: helping companies become, be and remain privacy compliant in order to meet obligations towards customers & employees while reaping the benefits of correct data processing.
• Security: CRANIUM ensures the safeguarding of your company’s reputation and continuity by offering (cyber)security solutions across essential frameworks, acts & directives such as NIS2 and ISO 27001 at a pace that suits your business needs.
• Data management: Want to become a data-driven organisation that uses data in the most efficient way? CRANIUM will be your partner in reaching that next level.

CRANIUM services can be tailored to the needs of the customer: typical engagements range from short term assessments or audits to longer consulting engagements. The company is active in many different industry verticals and has built up specialist groups around the most active clusters.

Finally, there also is the CRANIUM campus, which delivers courses in the above mentioned domains.

Differentiators

Partnership and learning networks in core industry verticals

Certain industry verticals have been more impacted than others by privacy considerations. Take the medical industry, which handles highly sensitive personal data.

CRANIUM does not solely perform work for these core verticals, but also facilitates and participates in peer groups.

In these (long standing) peer groups, participants have built up trust together and freely discuss common challenges. CRANIUM also has developed a formula where it can deliver services or research for the peer group itself. In this case, each participant can access the deliverables while paying only a fraction of the cost.

Where CRANIUM has been able to create these peer groups, it has successfully built up a learning network and positioned itself as the trusted advisor, leading to a very strong business position.

Combining the legal, security and business domains

CRANIUM’s multidisciplinary approach brings together deep expertise in legal, security and business domains under one roof, a synergy that can offer more value to organisations.

While CRANIUM also offers subject matter expertise in each of the aforementioned domains, there is even more value in having all three domains in one company. As every privacy, security or data expert knows: when working in one area, one finds himself quickly asking questions about the other two areas. The ability to quickly confer with an expert in a different domain unlocks more comprehensive and complete solutions across domains.

Future plans

CRANIUM is building on its current momentum, gradually increasing both its customer base and its experts.

Company history

CRANIUM was founded in 2016, by Alex van Cauwenbergh and Bavo Van den Heuvel. Initially focusing on applied privacy, the company quickly added information security and data management to its core expertise. Additionally, CRANIUM expanded to the Netherlands.

In 2019, spun out RESPONSUM, a SaaS offering privacy and data management.

A year later, CRANIUM acquired White Wire, another privacy and security consultancy with a strong foothold in the healthcare sector.

In 2021 and 2022, CRANIUM expanded further with new offices in Hasselt and Ghent. It also appointed Anne Jansen as the new CEO.

CRANIUM currently has a linkedin headcount of 71 people.