The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has paid an undisclosed sum to Russian cybercriminals who stole personal data from players of the country’s national football team, the organisation said on Tuesday.
In April, hacker group Lockbit carried out an attack which saw them get their hands on players’ personal data, passports, salary information and medical records. The group had threatened to make the information publicly available if no ransom was paid.
“Potentially captured files contain personal data, the distribution of which could affect the privacy of those involved,” the KNVB stated in a press release, adding that “preventing such dissemination ultimately outweighs the principle of not allowing ourselves to be extorted”.
The association stated it has already informed those affected by the leak and provided information on how to proceed.
While the exact sum the KNVB paid was not disclosed, RTL Nieuws reported that the hacker group had demanded more than €1 million.
Last year, Lockbit threatened to release confidential files belonging to the French Justice Ministry, demanding a ransom if the institution did not pay. The threat later turned out to be a bluff, with the group not having access to any of the ministry’s documents.
Dutch organisations and infrastructure have proven to be vulnerable to hacking attacks recently, as several of the country’s key ports suffered DDOS attacks back in June, rendering their websites unusable for several hours. Russia-affiliated hackers had also perpetrated these attacks.
“The Netherlands is permanently under pressure from attackers from abroad, many from China, Russia and Iran, but also criminals,” Erik Akerboom, general director of Dutch intelligence and security agency AIVD, stated, adding that he is worried about the capability of Dutch organisations to resist such attacks.
The ransom payment also led to calls for action at the EU level to prevent further damage caused by cybercriminals.
“The hack on the KNVB, where a hefty ransom was paid, further demonstrates the need for governments to actively prevent cybercrime. This is also what Europe’s cyber security legislation demands of member states. […],” Bart Groothuis (VVD/Renew), MEP and rapporteur for cybercrime, posted on X, formerly Twitter.
(Benedikt Stöckl | Euractiv.com)
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