The Dutch National Police have revealed that a recent cyberattack exposing the work-related details of nearly 63,000 officers may have been orchestrated by a state-sponsored actor.
The breach, which came to light on September 26, resulted in the theft of officers’ business contact information, including names, email addresses, and phone numbers. In some cases, private information was also compromised. Individuals who recently retired or moved elsewhere were also impacted
Authorities were alerted to the attack by Dutch intelligence services, who said that the perpetrators were likely operating on behalf of a foreign state.
The police confirmed that they had quickly moved to reinforce security protocols following the intelligence tip. However, details of the attack remain scarce as authorities are cautious not to compromise the ongoing investigation or aid the perpetrators by revealing specific tactics used.
“Based on information provided by the intelligence services, we immediately implemented enhanced security measures,” the police said. “To protect the investigation and prevent further damage, we cannot share additional details at this time.”