Nowadays, data is at the core of almost every competitive business. Worldwide, the amount of data stored doubles every two years. The increasing amount of data and its growing importance, however, also make way for new types of cybercrime. Besides, the Dutch Ministry of Justice last week announced that the amount of denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks monitored, surged in the last couple of months. On top of that, the sophistication of these attacks grew as well. Hence, cybercrime is on the rise yet the importance of data security seems to be underestimated.
Around the world, businesses and governments become more dependent on data. Additionally, as a result of the interconnectivity of systems one data leak can expose a strain of vulnerabilities across organizations. In 2020, the Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure, a privately owned center for information system vulnerabilities, notified the Dutch government about a data leak at more than 900 Dutch companies. The National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCSC), responsible for handling this threat, only informed public authorities and ‘vital’ companies about the breach. In response to a newspaper article about the incident, the Ministry mentioned that Dutch law currently does not allow the government to warn non-essential organizations about possible cyberattacks. However, also companies responsible for securing data are lagging. According to experts, businesses stall important updates and do not adequately secure their systems. A recent security breach at Apollo Vredenstein, a Dutch tire manufacturer, revealed that the company used machinery and software that had not been updated for over 10 years.
A lack of capacity and knowledge at the governmental agencies and businesses, as well as, inadequate regulations to prevent cybercrime threaten the future of our data-driven society. In order to prepare ourselves, data security needs to become a top priority. This means that governments need to invest heavily in the detection of cybercrime and work together with the companies and institutions owning data.
References:
https://nos.nl/artikel/2346721-steeds-meer-ddos-aanvallen-op-bedrijven-en-organisaties.html#:~:text=Steeds%20meer%20bedrijven%20en%20organisaties%20worden%20getroffen%20door%20DDoS%2Daanvallen.&text=Verscheidene%20bedrijven%20en%20organisaties%20zijn,de%20zwaarste%20aanval%20124%20Gbps.
https://fd.nl/ondernemen/1353350/overheid-wist-wie-kwetsbaar-was-maar-liet-bedrijven-toch-gehackt-worden
https://fd.nl/ondernemen/1353014/hack-apollo-vredestein-legt-zwakke-cyberbeveiliging-bij-bedrijven-bloot
