Dutch intelligence agencies (AIVD and MIVD) confirmed that **Laundry Bear (Void Blizzard)**, a Russian state-linked hacker group, breached the **Dutch National Police** in 2023. The attackers successfully **accessed the contact details of all police officers**, compromising sensitive internal employee data. The operation was part of a broader espionage campaign targeting **EU and NATO states**, specifically aiming to gather intelligence on **Western arms supplies and defense production for Ukraine**. The breach was classified as **extremely likely state-sponsored**, with the group focusing on defense-related intelligence. While no immediate operational disruption was reported, the exposure of **law enforcement personnel’s contact information** poses severe risks, including potential **targeted phishing, intimidation, or further cyber intrusions**. Dutch authorities released technical findings to assist governments and defense contractors in mitigating future threats. The attack aligns with a pattern of **Kremlin-backed cyber operations** against Western logistics and military-supporting institutions, reinforcing concerns over **state-level cyber espionage** and its long-term strategic implications.
Source: https://www.scworld.com/brief/dutch-police-hit-by-russian-linked-hackers
TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/politie-nederland
"id": "pol23101023112725",
"linkid": "politie-nederland",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "6/2023",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'law enforcement',
'location': 'Netherlands',
'name': 'Dutch National Police (Politie)',
'type': 'government agency'}],
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': True,
'personally_identifiable_information': True,
'sensitivity_of_data': 'high (law enforcement personnel data)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['contact details']},
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024',
'description': 'Dutch intelligence agencies identified the Russian-linked '
'hacker group Laundry Bear (Void Blizzard) as responsible for '
"a cyberattack on the Netherlands' national police in 2023. "
'The attackers accessed contact details of all officers. The '
'group is actively targeting EU and NATO states to gather '
'intelligence on Western arms supplies and defense production '
'for Ukraine. The attack is part of a broader pattern of '
'Kremlin-linked espionage against Western logistics firms and '
'institutions. Technical findings were released to aid defense '
'against future intrusions.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': ['contact details of all national police '
'officers'],
'identity_theft_risk': 'high (contact details of law enforcement '
'personnel exposed)'},
'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': ['defense-related '
'intelligence',
'Western arms supplies to '
'Ukraine']},
'investigation_status': 'ongoing (technical findings released)',
'motivation': ['state-sponsored espionage',
'intelligence gathering on Western defense support for '
'Ukraine'],
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['public dissemination of '
'technical findings to '
'bolster defenses']},
'recommendations': ['enhance defenses against state-sponsored espionage',
'monitor supply chains and third-party vendors linked to '
'defense logistics',
'share threat intelligence with allied nations'],
'references': [{'source': 'The Associated Press (AP)'},
{'source': 'Joint report by Dutch domestic and military '
'intelligence services (AIVD and MIVD)'}],
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['release of technical findings to aid '
'defense against future intrusions']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['EU and NATO member states',
'defense contractors',
'logistics suppliers'],
'threat_actor': ['Laundry Bear', 'Void Blizzard'],
'title': 'Cyberattack on Dutch National Police by Russian-Linked Hacker Group '
'Laundry Bear (Void Blizzard)',
'type': ['cyberespionage', 'data breach']}