The center, based in The Hague, focuses on developing and offering expertise and advice, supporting and implementing responses to cyber threats or incidents, and strengthening crisis management, according to a report by Radio Netherlands.
The center brings together expertise from various agencies, including the Ministry of Security and Justice; the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation; the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations; the Ministry of Defence; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Dutch intelligence service AIVD; the police; the Public Prosecution Service, and the Netherlands Forensic Institute. Private sector entities will be invited to join once the public sector participation is firmly established, the center said.
Last year, the Dutch government was rocked by security breaches at the government-sanctioned DigiNotar certificate authority. DigiNotar’s systems were compromised by Comodohaker, who issued more than 500 bogus digital certificates in the name of major web properties, as well as intelligence services, such as the CIA, MI6, and Mossad. The Dutch government revoked its authority to issue certificates, and the company filed for bankruptcy.