News item |: 26.6.2023 |: 16:19
Countering cybercrime, digital espionage, or sabotage through digital means starts with individual organizations. Due to the growing and more sophisticated cyber threats from the Netherlands and abroad, private or public organizations and companies must also receive appropriate support from the government. That is why the government has decided to merge existing national government cyber security organizations into one central, visible and effective national cyber security organization. This organization includes the Department of Justice and Security’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), the Digital Trust Center (DTC) and the Digital Service Providers Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT-DSP), both of which Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK).
Minister Yeshilgyoz-Zegerius. “Cybercriminals and hostile states are becoming smarter and more efficient at digitally stealing money and information or sabotaging organizations and processes critical to our society. That’s why we need to combine our knowledge and skills to ensure we stay one step ahead. The renewed organization will build on the strengths of the current organizations, enabling the new organization to provide relevant information and knowledge and assistance to all organizations in the Netherlands, large or small, public or private, vital or non-vital. therefore, I am glad that organizations are already working together as much as possible so that we can already better protect ourselves from cyber attacks.”
Minister Miki Adriansens (Economic Affairs and Climate). “The importance of digital resilience to our society and economy is increasing. For example, if the Internet is down due to a cyber attack, stores are empty or even industrial production fails. Digital devices and systems provide economic opportunity and consumer convenience, but they also make us vulnerable. So we’re adding legal cyber requirements to devices and services. But also invest in knowledge sharing and expertise in large-scale incidents. This works best with a single government desk where organizations and companies can get support.”
A familiar calculator
After the integration, all organizations in the Netherlands can turn to a single, recognizable counter for cybersecurity advice and digital incident support, and the new cybersecurity organization can respond quickly and adequately to threat and incident information at national and sectoral levels. The first important steps have been taken. Organizations are already working together as much as possible. For example, by jointly organizing the warning of cyber-attack victims and targets and providing action perspectives to all organizations in the Netherlands so that they can better defend themselves against attackers.
The owner of the renewed organization will be the Minister of Justice and Security. Ministry of JenV and EZK jointly fulfill the role of client. The transition will take place in two phases to take as much as possible into account upcoming legislation and current processes from the Dutch Cyber Security Strategy (NLCS).
In the first phase, until October 1, 2024, the organizations are already working together as much as possible. For example, warning about specific cyber threats and vulnerabilities and providing prospects for joint action to all organizations in the Netherlands so that they can better protect themselves against attackers.
In the second phase, by January 1, 2026, tasks and processes will be integrated and optimized. In any case, it must also be possible to apply the Security and Information Systems Act (Wbni), including the European Network and Information Security Directive (NIS2), the sectoral legislation within which the tasks of the CSIRT are carried out and the Business Digital Resilience Act (Wbdwb). ), which is currently in the House of Representatives. After the first stage, the current organizations no longer follow an independent course and exist only in a formal sense in their current form.