Major data leak discovered at multiple Dutch ministries; Impact currently unclear
A major data leak was discovered in the Netherlands affecting several government ministries, unnamed sources confirmed to news outlet BNR. The leak has privacy implications, but the nature of the issue has not been disclosed. It was also not immediately clear on Thursday if any personal information has even been accessed, let alone whether data was stolen as part of a cyberattack.
The Ministries of Economic Affairs and of Climate and Green Growth were affected by the issue, spokespersons for the ministries confirmed to BNR. A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior confirmed to ANP that the data leak has their “full attention.” Other ministries may also be affected, BNR said.
More information about the cause and scope of the data leak have not been shared so as to not compromise efforts to determine what happened, several media outlets confirmed. “We are investigating the situation and are following the usual steps there. The situation and the size are still being investigated,” the Interior Ministry told BNR.
The spokesperson there said a team has been assembled to investigate the matter. “We are now going through the data leak procedure,” a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry told ANP.
The Dutch Data Protection Authority has been notified about the issue, the regulator confirmed. It has not been made clear if the issue is affecting the day-to-day work at any ministries or government offices.
