Cybersecurity Supporting Wellness

What do cybersecurity and wellness have in common? For most, the two seemingly disparate fields rarely or never have cause to intersect. But for Randolph Oudemans, JIS Class of 1980, they make up the foundations of a near-lifelong calling to help others.

Whether it’s to keep them safe from the increasingly complex risks of online threats, help them live a more sustainably harmonious life, or guide their internal journey to finding self-compassion, he has remained steadfast in his dedication to all facets of humanitarianism. 

This mission, though rooted in his memories for as far back as he can remember, began to take flight right here in Indonesia, a country that has stayed dear to his heart and mind since his days at JIS.

“Over many years, I have been involved in various programs and initiatives to share with and care for others,” Randolph tells us. “I wanted to do more to contribute to the well-being and happiness of others, so I started visiting orphanages and child-care centers in Indonesia to see if we could offer some meaningful services.”

After just a few visits, he decided to establish Now.Here, pronounced “Now, Here”, as a reminder of the importance of staying present, “because if we are not now, here, we are nowhere”.

The initiative aimed to raise the quality of care the children in the aforementioned orphanages and centers were receiving by improving the emotional intelligence and skills of their caregivers.

“Over time, I became very experienced in teaching compassion and self-compassion and offered this as well through Now.Were.”

And so, after more than two decades as a business development specialist in tech-related fields, which included a host of civic and social responsibility campaigns, Randolph’s vision and mission skyrocketed into a proactive agent of change. He became a certified teacher specializing in mindful self-compassion and non-violent communication. And under his guidance, Now.Here’s scope expanded to offer a vast repertoire of interactive programs and workshops tailored specifically to help people find happiness, flourish, and “live with greater kindness and compassion for the Earth”.

“In cybersecurity, we are concerned with protecting the most valuable IT assets of an organization, such as personal data, intellectual property, application integrity, and network integrity. At Now.Here. I work on protecting what is even more important than all of that. I focus on protecting the Earth and all of life,” Randolph explains. “Everything we do at Now.Here is designed to help people be more present to themselves and others, moment by moment.”

Building on Now.Here’s momentum, Randolph would go on to write and publish two books, namely Treasure Earth: Healing Ourselves While We Heal the Earth and a Treasure Earth companion for home and school.

“In my view, our fervent desire to focus on ‘external challenges’ in the world is actually a reflection of a deeper yearning to change ourselves from within,” he writes in Chapter 4 of Treasure Earth: Healing Ourselves While We Heal the Earth. “As the climate and ecological crises intensify, we have to recognize that our relationship with the Earth is one of the most important connections we have. For our sake and the sake of the planet, I hope we will all prioritize reconnecting with and treasuring the Earth.” 

His next step, as a certified teacher in mindfulness and self-compassion, was to draw on his vast experience in the tech industry to create a mobile app for Now.Here, which has been used by schools and organizations around the world. For Randolph, the pursuit of wellness should not be restricted to face-to-face interactions. With major advancements being made in communications technology, Randolph hopes to impact as many lives as possible no matter the platform — both online and offline.

“The world is a virtual world. We offer many programs through webinars [...] We often say that mindfulness and compassion are two wings on the same bird — and we need both to fly.”