Ransomware Threats Continue to Haunt Dutch Municipalities
By Netvora Tech News
Over the past two years, more than 150 Dutch municipalities have been directly or indirectly involved in ransomware incidents, according to the Information Security Service (IBD) of the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG). The IBD presented its findings in the recently released Threat Picture Information Security Municipalities 2025/2026 report.
Ransomware remains the greatest threat to Dutch municipalities, the IBD stated. In 2023 and 2024, nearly 150 municipalities were affected by ransomware incidents in their supplier chains. These incidents involved service providers such as print service bureaus and cloud service providers, the IBD noted.
Weaknesses in Municipal ICT Systems
The IBD emphasized that municipalities and their suppliers have not been the primary targets of criminals. However, weak systems and stolen login credentials make municipalities frequent victims of opportunistic attacks. The IBD noted that a growing portion of municipal ICT is being outsourced, making incidents in the supply chain a increasingly significant threat.
Ransomware and phishing attacks on suppliers often lead to widespread disruptions and/or data breaches affecting multiple municipalities at once, the IBD stated. It is therefore crucial for municipalities to make clear agreements with and set standards for suppliers regarding security and incident response.
Advice for Municipalities
The IBD advises municipalities to prevent ransomware, human errors, and technical failures by applying network segmentation, making current backups, and strictly enforcing access rights. Additionally, municipalities should ensure their internal crisis teams are prepared with detailed continuity scenarios and a clear communication plan to quickly restore services.
- Netwerksegmentatie toepassen
- Actuele back-ups maken
- Toegangsrechten strikt toepassen
- Interne gemeentelijke crisisteam voorbereid hebben met uitgewerkte continuïteitscenario’s en een duidelijk communicatieplan
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