Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

The Dutch government blocked Kyndryl’s €100M bid for Solvinity, citing national security concerns over critical digital infrastructure. Dutch Government told Kyndryl it can’t buy Solvinity. That sentence doesn’t sound dramatic, but what it means is this: a European government just blocked an American IT company from acquiring the firm that runs DigiD, the platform Dutch […]

New York-Based Kyndryl Can't Buy Amsterdam-Based Solvinity GroupThe growing push for European technological sovereignty from the United States claimed a significant scalp in the Netherlands, where authorities blocked the American takeover of a crucial secure cloud company.

Dutch intelligence reveals Russian state hackers are trying to hijack the Signal and WhatsApp accounts of key targets

Russian state-sponsored hackers have been linked to an ongoing Signal and WhatsApp phishing campaign targeting government officials, military personnel, and journalists to gain access to sensitive messages. [...]

Dutch spies flag large-scale campaign to hijack secure messaging accounts Russian-linked hackers are trying to break into the Signal and WhatsApp accounts of government officials, journalists, and military personnel globally – not by cracking encryption, but by simply tricking people into handing over the keys.…

The European Commission and government agencies in Finland and the Netherlands have suffered potentially related breaches

Also, Dutch Defend the Nexperia Takeover, Hikvision Challenges FCC, Qilin StrikesThis week, likely North Korean hackers exploited React2Shell. The Dutch government defended its seizure of Nexperia. Prompt injection may be here to stay. Hikvision pushed back against a new U.S. crackdown. Qilin claimed it hacked Scientology, Microsoft Patch Tuesday and MuddyWater activity.

Only a select few continue into later life, mainly for the love of the game Young threat actors may be rebels without a cause. These cybercriminals typically grow out of their offending ways by the time they turn 20, according to data published by the Dutch government.…

Beijing blocks exports after Netherlands imposes special measures on Chinese-owned chipmaker Major car, van, truck and bus manufacturers are warning that the Dutch government placing semiconductor biz Nexperia under special administrative measures could result in a shortage of automotive chips.…

Dutch Ministry Invokes National Security Law to Impose Domestic ControlThe Dutch government said it is severing semiconductor chipmaker Nexperia from control by its Chinese parent after invoking a national security law allowing it to impose domestic control. Partially Chinese state-controlled Wingtech Technologies acquired a three quarters stake in Nexperia in 2018.

Minister invokes powers to stop firm shifting knowledge to China, citing governance shortcomings The Dutch government has placed Nexperia - a Chinese-owned semiconductor company that previously operated Britain's Newport Wafer Fab — under special administrative measures, citing serious governance failures that threaten European tech security.…

Ransomware Gang Nova Poised to Leak Patient Data, Lab Stays Mum on NegotiationsWith ransomware gang Nova threatening to leak patient data on the darkweb, a Dutch laboratory that performs cervical cancer tests for a government screening program is mum about the ransom negotiations, but it says the cyberattack in July has affected 941,000 patients.

Dutch intel services, Microsoft go big-game hunting A previously unknown Kremlin-linked group has conducted cyber-espionage operations against Dutch police, NATO member states, Western tech companies, and other organizations of interest to the Russian government since at least April 2024, according to Dutch intelligence services and Microsoft.…

Hackers Targeted Critical Infrastructure for Sabotage, Data TheftRussian and Chinese hackers targeted critical infrastructure in the Netherlands for strategic gains amid escalating tensions with Western governments, the Dutch intelligence agency said. The Netherlands witnessed a number of "cyberespionage attempts against the Dutch government."

It involves a number close to three or six depending on the fiend Ransomware operators jack up their ransom demands by a factor of 2.8x if they detect a victim has cyber-insurance, a study highlighted by the Netherlands government has confirmed.…

Austria, Estonia, Lithuania and the Netherlands Join the Coalition Formed in MarchFour more European Union nations have joined a United States government-led initiative lanched in March to tackle spyware misuse globally. The move came amid growing criticisms of the European Commission's failure to curb the EU's prolific spyware market.

Researchers were able to glean data from 10,000 meetings held by top Dutch gov officials Cisco squashed some bugs this week that allowed anyone to view WebEx meeting information and join them, potentially opening up security and privacy concerns for highly sensitive meets.…

Meta insists it's just misunderstood and it's safe to talk to citizens over FB The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) has warned that government organizations should not use Facebook to communicate with the country's citizens unless they can guarantee the privacy of data.…

A joint advisory from Europol and US and Dutch government agencies estimated that Akira made around $42m in ransomware proceeds from March 2023 to January 2024

No photos? No, second operation Dutch health insurers are reportedly forcing breast cancer patients to submit photos of their breasts prior to reconstructive surgery despite a government ban on precisely that.…