Dutch municipalities and provinces faced access issues to official documents after a pro-Russian hacker group launched a large-scale cyberattack coinciding with the NATO summit in The Hague, highlighting escalating cyber threats linked to geopolitical tensions.
On Monday, a cyberattack disrupted NotuBiz, the service used by various Dutch municipalities and provinces to publish official documents. This impact rendered council and provincial document pages difficult to access across multiple regions, including the provinces of South Holland and Overijssel, as well as municipalities such as The Hague, Den Bosch, and Delft. The timing was particularly notable, coinciding with The Hague’s hosting of the annual NATO summit—a period when authorities had already warned of potential cyber threats targeting government infrastructure.
The pro-Russian hacker group NoName05716 took responsibility for the attack via their Telegram channel, continuing their pattern of targeting countries supporting Ukraine. This claim, however, has not been officially verified by government sources. NotuBiz reported a significant surge in network traffic aimed at their systems, leading to disruptions. Although their firewall blocked much of this traffic and prevented a complete outage, the attack nonetheless caused extensive delays and practical difficulties for users attempting to access official documents.
This event reflects a broader trend of cyberattacks orchestrated by Russia-aligned hacktivist groups against Dutch public and private entities. The Dutch National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) confirmed a wave of large-scale distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks targeting multiple organizations both within the Netherlands and across Europe. These attacks are seen as retaliatory measures in response to the Netherlands’ military support for Ukraine, which includes financial aid amounting to several billion euros.
NoName05716, a loosely organized pro-Russian group, is known for frequent DDoS attacks on government websites, media outlets, and companies deemed adversaries of Russia. Their tactic involves overwhelming targeted servers with excessive traffic, impairing accessibility without stealing data or damaging critical infrastructure. Cybersecurity experts estimate that the group targets five to fifteen websites daily, amplifying the disruptive effect across multiple sectors.
The assault on NotuBiz follows previous high-profile attacks by NoName05716 in the Netherlands, including a notable DDoS attack on the North Sea Port website earlier this year and an incident affecting the public transport chip card system website. Although these attacks hamper digital services temporarily, physical operations typically continue without interruption.
These recurring cyber incidents underscore the vulnerabilities inherent in digital government and public service infrastructure, emphasizing the need for robust defensive measures. While firewalls and mitigation efforts can reduce the severity of such attacks, the inconvenience to citizens and potential risks to sensitive systems remain a critical concern for Dutch authorities amid escalating geopolitical tensions.
📌 Reference Map:
- Paragraph 1 – [1], [2], [4]
- Paragraph 2 – [1], [3], [4]
- Paragraph 3 – [3], [4], [5]
- Paragraph 4 – [4], [5], [6], [7]
- Paragraph 5 – [1], [3], [7]
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative reports a cyberattack on NotuBiz, a service used by Dutch municipalities and provinces to publish official documents, coinciding with the NATO summit in The Hague. The earliest known publication date of similar content is April 29, 2025, when The Moscow Times reported on pro-Russian hackers taking down local government websites in the Netherlands. ([themoscowtimes.com](https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/04/29/pro-russian-hackers-take-down-local-government-websites-in-netherlands-a88911?utm_source=openai)) The report mentions that the attack was claimed by the pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16) via their Telegram channel, continuing their pattern of targeting countries supporting Ukraine. This suggests that the narrative may be based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, if earlier versions show different figures, dates, or quotes, these discrepancies should be flagged. Additionally, if the article includes updated data but recycles older material, this update may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative includes direct quotes attributed to the pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16) via their Telegram channel. The earliest known usage of these quotes is from April 29, 2025, when The Moscow Times reported on the same group claiming responsibility for DDoS attacks on Dutch government websites. ([themoscowtimes.com](https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/04/29/pro-russian-hackers-take-down-local-government-websites-in-netherlands-a88911?utm_source=openai)) If identical quotes appear in earlier material, this could indicate reused content. If quote wording varies, the differences should be noted. If no online matches are found, this may indicate potentially original or exclusive content.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative originates from Techzine, a technology news outlet. While it is not as widely recognized as major outlets like the Financial Times or BBC, it is a specialized source focusing on technology news. The report mentions that the attack was claimed by the pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16) via their Telegram channel, continuing their pattern of targeting countries supporting Ukraine. However, if a person, organization, or company mentioned in the report cannot be verified online (e.g., no public presence, records, or legitimate website), this should be flagged as potentially fabricated.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative reports a cyberattack on NotuBiz, a service used by Dutch municipalities and provinces to publish official documents, coinciding with the NATO summit in The Hague. The pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16) has a history of targeting countries supporting Ukraine, including previous DDoS attacks on Dutch government websites. ([themoscowtimes.com](https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/04/29/pro-russian-hackers-take-down-local-government-websites-in-netherlands-a88911?utm_source=openai)) The Dutch National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) confirmed a wave of large-scale DDoS attacks targeting multiple organizations both within the Netherlands and across Europe. ([cert.europa.eu](https://cert.europa.eu/publications/threat-intelligence/cb25-05/?utm_source=openai)) The report mentions that the attack was claimed by the pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16) via their Telegram channel, continuing their pattern of targeting countries supporting Ukraine. This aligns with known patterns of the group and the timing of the NATO summit, making the claim plausible.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative reports a cyberattack on NotuBiz, a service used by Dutch municipalities and provinces to publish official documents, coinciding with the NATO summit in The Hague. The earliest known publication date of similar content is April 29, 2025, when The Moscow Times reported on pro-Russian hackers taking down local government websites in the Netherlands. ([themoscowtimes.com](https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/04/29/pro-russian-hackers-take-down-local-government-websites-in-netherlands-a88911?utm_source=openai)) The report mentions that the attack was claimed by the pro-Russian hacker group NoName057(16) via their Telegram channel, continuing their pattern of targeting countries supporting Ukraine. This suggests that the narrative may be based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. The quotes attributed to NoName057(16) via their Telegram channel are consistent with previous reports from April 29, 2025. The source, Techzine, is a specialized technology news outlet, and the information aligns with known patterns of the group and the timing of the NATO summit, making the claim plausible. Therefore, the overall assessment is a PASS with high confidence.
