Risk of DDoS Attacks and Hacktivism Increases Ahead of NATO Summit

As the NATO summit in The Hague approaches in June, the risk of DDoS attacks and hacktivism is expected to rise, according to Matthijs van Amelsfort, director of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). He has already observed an increase in attacks on provinces and municipalities. 'We see governments being targeted. We must be particularly aware of the risks to the energy and transport sectors,' he stated.

Van Amelsfort urges the reporting of unusual cybersecurity phenomena to assess their connection to the NATO summit. 'In these geopolitically turbulent times, the MIVD and AIVD also report an increased threat. However, the question remains to what extent they succeed in countering these threats. That is precisely the art of enhancing resilience and keeping them out. And if an attack occurs, mitigating measures must be taken.'

The NCSC has reviewed security measures from past global events, such as the Paris Olympics, to prepare for potential threats during the NATO summit. 'We have learned from previous summits what went wrong. This helps us prevent similar issues here.'