Dutch Prosecution Service faces weeks-long internet outage after cyber breach

The Dutch Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie, OM) has been offline for over a week and expects to remain disconnected from the internet for several more weeks after a critical vulnerability was exploited in software used for remote access to its internal network, the OM said. The cybersecurity breach has forced prosecutors to activate emergency protocols, restrict digital access to physical offices, and raised nationwide concerns about continuity in criminal proceedings.

Separately, the judiciary’s official website, rechtspraak.nl, also went offline Sunday evening due to an unrelated technical failure. Court services confirmed that issue is not connected to the OM’s cybersecurity crisis and is still under investigation.

The OM confirmed Monday that the cyber incident remains unresolved. “Some systems are slowly becoming available again, such as case databases for reading files,” a spokesperson said. “But prosecutors still cannot edit or print the documents.”

The shutdown began late last week after forensic analysis revealed indications of unauthorized access. “A thorough analysis of the OM’s systems has provided reason to believe that this potential vulnerability was indeed exploited,” the spokesperson added.

The remote access system at the center of the breach acts as a gateway between the internet and the OM’s internal networks — a known target for cybercriminals. “They’re a common entry point for attackers,” said Christo Butcher, cybersecurity expert at Fox-IT, to NOS. “Disconnecting from the internet is very disruptive — your entire operation is halted — but it’s a highly effective way to contain a cyberattack.”

The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) warned about the vulnerability in June and again in early July, stating that exploitation by attackers was imminent. While a software patch was released, it remains unclear whether or when the OM installed it. Justice Minister David van Weel has notified the Tweede Kamer and confirmed that OM staff were informed internally.

The impact on operations is severe. Prosecutors reportedly cannot access email, log in remotely, or work digitally during hearings. They are also unable to retrieve or modify case files online.

“This situation demands a lot from our employees and chain partners, especially since it may last several weeks,” Rinus Otte, chair of the College of Prosecutors General, told NOS. “We are doing everything we can to keep the impact as small as possible. I thank everyone for their effort, patience, and flexibility.”

Despite the disruption, most criminal hearings are still taking place. A spokesperson for the Council for the Judiciary said Friday’s trials went ahead as scheduled. “If the OM is unable to attend a hearing, they notify the court. The court then makes a decision. Several courts are printing the case files for the prosecutors so that hearings can still go ahead.” No postponed hearings have been reported so far.

To reduce the impact, the OM is reportedly prioritizing critical operations such as detention hearings (Raadkamers) and continuing under emergency protocols.

Meanwhile, rechtspraak.nl remained offline through Monday morning until Monday afternoon. The organization managing the judiciary’s digital infrastructure announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the outage was unrelated to the OM breach. By midday, internal email and the court ruling registry were partially restored. The exact cause of the judiciary’s digital failure is still being determined.

This is not the first time the OM has suffered a disruption. In March, a separate network outage left employees unable to log in for several days. Whether that earlier failure is connected to the current breach remains unknown.