Greed nudity cyber approach

the hague - The Netherlands is spending too little money on cyber security. Our country repeatedly says that this topic is a priority, but does not turn the words into action.

This is evidenced by a compelling report drawn up by the Dutch government. It will be released tomorrow by a major cyber conference by author Melissa Hathaway, she is an expert in the field, and was among other things the head of cyber policy for the Obama government.

The global cyber attack, which hit more or less 150 countries last weekend, indicates once again that cyber security must be high on every government's priority list.

The Netherlands has the right ambitions, see the researchers. 'But the vision and ambitious plans are not supported by enough money, material or manpower. '

The authors of the report may mention several examples in which the Netherlands will come with a digital security plan, but will not withdraw a cent or leave an employee free. Compared to other Western countries, expenditure on the subject is therefore low.

The researchers of the American Potomac Institute for Policy Studies make a hard conclusion about the Dutch budget. 'The Netherlands argues that cyber security is a priority, but at the same time, the organizations that run this policy do not act as being of strategic importance to economic well-being or national security. '

Because the Netherlands scores well if the finances are ignored, researchers say that our country is on the right track. Organizations and infrastructures have already been set up, but they are still lacking force. For almost all core issues of cyber policy, the Netherlands is therefore given the judgment: partly operational. Only in terms of information sharing is the Netherlands a sufficiently insufficient.

Patricia Zorko, deputy NCTV and director of the National Cyber ​​Security Center (NCSC), will receive the report tomorrow. She also sees more investment, but is pleased that the report is on the right track. 'It is nevertheless a solid achievement that we have achieved solid results with modest means to keep Dutch digital security in order. '

Zorko warns consumers for the ransomware attacks currently under way. One of the most important tips she has is keeping devices up-to-date. 'People tend to postpone updates because it does not work out, and forget about it. 'In addition, according to Zorko, it is important to back up so that your files can always be retrieved if it's lost. 'And you should always pay close attention to emails from unknown senders. Just do not click on a link and do not open the attachments. '