Dutch Ministry of Finance takes down systems affected by breach

Officials at the Dutch Ministry of Finance disclosed that the ministry's primary internal systems have been taken offline as an investigation continues to determine the scope of the breach on its network, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

The attack, flagged by a third party, affected the government body's customs and taxation operations and has interrupted some services and workers. The ministry confirmed, however, that it can continue to provide services to businesses and citizens. Investigators have not yet disclosed a potential motive, who is accountable, or whether the attackers have gained access to sensitive data.

Such a development comes weeks after the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency and Dutch telecommunications firm Odido reported separate data breaches. Odido noted that information from nearly 6.2 million of its customers, including their names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, bank account numbers, and other identification details, had been compromised as a result of the hack.