Chapter I
The contribution of Defence to
the cyber security of the Netherlands
and NATO
State actors and criminal groups are becoming increasingly bolder in the cyber domain. Cyber attacks and
cyber incidents have become the order of the day. They can no longer be treated as isolated incidents.
More and more frequently, they are connected events which together form a campaign by state actors and
their proxies, intended to undermine a country’s economic revenue model, vital infrastructure, military
capabilities or democratic order. Account must also be taken of the fact that certain states purposely place
malware in industrial control systems in vital sectors in preparation for a potential military conflict. These
are activities or operations that are designed to create the preconditions for a military operation (shaping
the battlefield). It is Defence’s responsibility to take action, in close consultation with civil partners, to
combat this. Nonetheless, it is clear that if a (manifestly imminent) cyber attack is of such a scale that it can
be considered a (manifestly imminent) armed attack under Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations,
every state has the right to self-defence.
Proper defence and security alone are not, however, sufficient to prevent malicious parties from carrying
out cyber attacks. An increasing number of allies are therefore taking a more active approach in the cyber
domain (active defence). In the context of the first and third constitutional tasks (defending our territory
and that of NATO allies, and assisting civil authorities) , a more active contribution from Defence within the
existing structures is required. With a view to strengthening this contribution, Defence will invest in the
following capabilities and concepts over the coming years:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
6
intelligence: capability to act and attribution;
contribution to deterrence by means of military capabilities in the cyber domain;
cyber defence and protection of own networks and systems;
research into national fallback options;
military aid and support for civil authorities;
law enforcement (Royal Netherlands Marechaussee).
Defence Cyber Strategy