7-2-2027 (THE HAGUE) Dutch intelligence agencies MIVD and AIVD revealed that Chinese state-backed cyber spies infiltrated the internal computer network of the Dutch Ministry of Defence last year. The hackers deployed sophisticated malware within the ministry’s network to conceal their activities.
The agencies stated in a joint report, “China employs this type of malware for conducting espionage on computer networks. The malware has been specifically designed for FortiGate devices, which organizations worldwide utilize as firewalls to safeguard their systems. The manufacturer, Fortinet, supplies this product globally.”
This marks the first time the Netherlands has publicly attributed cyber espionage to China, as tensions escalate between Beijing and The Hague over national security concerns.
The Chinese embassy in the Netherlands has not responded to requests for comment, adhering to the routine denial of allegations of cyber espionage while expressing opposition to all forms of cyberattacks.
Fortinet, the manufacturer of FortiGate devices, has not yet provided a response to the emailed request for comment.
In their annual assessment last April, AIVD highlighted China as the greatest economic security threat to the Netherlands, citing ongoing espionage attempts targeting high-end technology companies and universities. Notably, the semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML, headquartered in Veldhoven, a city in the south of the Netherlands, has become a prime target. ASML is the world’s leading supplier of lithography machines used in the production of computer chips.
In a separate report also published last April, the MIVD disclosed China’s illicit efforts to acquire Dutch space technology by circumventing export restrictions.
