About me

Technically fluent. Organisationally aware. Occasionally paranoid—on purpose.

I’m Nienke Fokma (a.k.a. Nina Barzh). My background blends over 40 years in digital security, systems thinking, and technical facilitation. I’ve served as a systems architect, startup co-founder, and security advisor to human rights groups, NGOs, and public-interest projects. I’ve worked in Silicon Valley and grassroots shelters. Across all of it, the goal is the same: help people make better security decisions, without the buzzwords.

I combine deep technical knowledge with a pragmatic approach to risk, culture, and communication. Whether I’m mapping threat scenarios with a dev team, running red/blue labs for a security workshop, or advising a civic project on digital resilience, the work is always shaped by context—and grounded in what people actually need.

Why I do this

Security is dynamic. So is trust. Tools shift. Threats evolve. Compliance lags. People change. What doesn’t change is the need for clear thinking under pressure—and the ability to respond with care, not chaos.

I don’t promise silver bullets. But I offer pattern recognition, curiosity, and clarity in the face of complexity. I work with the people doing the real work—technical teams, product leads, educators, and organisers—to reduce the risk that digital threats spill over into people’s real lives.

How I work

High signal. Low friction. No fearmongering.

• Collaborative — No ivory tower security. I work with your team, not above it.
• Plainspoken — Risk doesn't need marketing language to matter.
• Lightweight — Most of what works isn’t expensive. It’s just well-chosen.
• Resilient — I don’t optimise for checklists. I optimise for real life.

What I can help with

• Threat modelling, with or without compliance frameworks
• Teaching and mentoring technical teams on security principles
• Designing internal training, red/blue drills, or cross-team simulations
• Planning digital resilience for non-profits or community initiatives
• I bring analysis to life through practical implementation support — scripting, testing, and hardening where needed, without vanishing into code.