In its annual report, AIVD announced that internal and external threats have increased in the country due to the Ukraine war, spying activities and cyber attacks.
In the annual report of the Dutch Security and Intelligence Agency (AIVD), it was announced that internal and external threats to the rule of law in the country have increased due to the Ukraine war, spying activities and cyber attacks.
In the report titled “General Intelligence and Security Service”, it was stated that internal and external security threats have increased in the Netherlands.
In a press release regarding the report, AIVD Director-General Erik Akerboom stated that China is the “biggest economic threat” for the economic security of the Netherlands and said, “China is targeting new technologies in the Netherlands and is constantly trying to steal these technologies.”
“In addition to using cyberspace as a weapon, China is using students and scientists of all kinds as agents to get important information from vulnerable areas,” Akerboom said.
Commenting on the disclosure of US military military information on the Internet, Akerboom said, “You cannot guarantee that something similar will not happen to us. We are doing everything we can to ensure that it does not happen. If something like this happens, it will damage the plans and strategies and weaken us even more.”
The US Department of Justice announced that it had detained Jack Teixeira, a member of the intelligence wing of the Air National Guard, in connection with an investigation into the alleged unauthorized extraction, storage and transmission of classified national defense information.
The Dutch government announced in March 2023 that it had restricted the export of chip manufacturing equipment to China and the export of raw materials used in chip making to China.
“Ukraine war has increased security threats”
The report noted that radical ideas, terrorist threats, cyber attacks, sabotage and organized crime undermine the rule of law in the country.
In the report, which mentioned that the rising inflation and energy prices due to the Russia-Ukraine war, created the basis for the spread of radical ideas in the country, “Those who spread conspiracy theories about the ‘malicious elites’ that emerged with the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of (the war) had the opportunity to spread these ideas again. Sometimes, like Russia. countries are secretly inciting opposition in Western societies.
In the report, which noted that Russia was trying to steal information from the Netherlands and NATO member countries, it was stated that 17 Russian diplomats were sent from the Netherlands for these reasons.
The report reminded the cyber attack aimed at the destruction of the Albanian government’s digital infrastructure, theft of data and electronic contact information from government systems in July 2021 to draw attention to cyber attacks from countries such as China, Russia and Iran.
Albania had decided to sever diplomatic relations with Iran in response to the cyber-attack on their digital infrastructure.
“Hate speech has increased”
In the report, it was stated that hate speech against different faiths and religious groups in the country increased, while concrete threats from far-right and radical groups were blocked by the AIVD.
In the report, it was stated that the danger of radical ideas turning into extremist intentions and ultimately the use of violence in the country is increasing.