When the war in Ukraine started, there were warnings about cyber attacks from Russia. What is the situation after three months and what does that mean for the future? Six questions and answers.
1. Why is the Netherlands interesting for Russian hackers?
There are several reasons for this, says cybersecurity expert Frank Groenewegen of Deloitte. “Political espionage can be especially interesting for Russian hackers. Suppose you steal secret information that shows that new sanctions are being targeted. Then you can better prepare for that.”
Another motive could be to sow unrest, Groenewegen says. Taking revenge because of economic sanctions is also a possibility, according to Bibi van den Berg, professor of Cybersecurity Governance at Leiden University. “They may want to do the same thing in return: cause economic damage.”
Both experts emphasize that it is possible that a cyber attack will take place in another country, but that we will also notice the consequences in the Netherlands.
2. What is the risk of a Russian cyber attack in the Netherlands?
The risk is currently higher than normal, says Van den Berg. “The Netherlands is an exceptionally digitized country. That means that it is effective for hackers to get something out of it.”
According to Groenewegen, there is also an additional threat. “But we don’t see any concrete indications yet. That can of course change quickly with certain developments.”
3. Have there been cyber attacks in the Netherlands that can be linked to the war in Ukraine?
Not yet, a spokesperson for the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) informs NU.nl. Companies and organizations must remain alert.
4. Is Ukraine experiencing a major cyber war?
“That’s not too bad,” says Van den Berg. “It was expected that Russia would combine classical weapons and digital means. Then a hybrid war would arise, but so far that has not happened.”
That does not mean that there are no cyber attacks in Ukraine, she says. “It certainly will, but it’s the same kind of attacks as before the war. It’s rambling on, but large-scale cyber-attacks haven’t happened in Ukraine yet.”
Groenewegen does not fully agree. Although, like Van den Berg, he had expected more attacks on a larger scale, he said there were a few in Ukraine. “The shutdown of the Viasat satellite network by Russia is an example of this.”
5. Why aren’t there more cyber attacks?
There are various reasons for this, says Van den Berg. “Maybe it’s a tactical choice. Russia may find it inconvenient to destroy all information systems in Ukraine, because they will need them later. It could also be that Russia is not that far in terms of cyber attacks. Or that Ukraine is security better than expected.”
6. Could hackers get to our money?
“The banking sector has been working for ten years to protect itself against cyber attacks,” says Groenewegen, “for example by holding exercises. They also do that against specific countries. And there is a regulator that monitors it.”
According to Groenewegen, the chance that a cyber attack on a bank will take place does increase. “But banks already assume that something like this can happen one day. I think they are sufficiently prepared for that, but the question remains how quickly and effectively they can respond. Nothing can be 100 percent secured.”