Cyber Threats Are Changing: The Netherlands Must Keep Up

Minister David van Weel (Justice and Security) at Cybersec Netherlands 2026

How is the cyber threat changing now that AI is giving attackers new capabilities? And what does that mean for the way the Netherlands defends itself? At Cybersec Netherlands 2026, Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel will discuss the digital threat, the resilience of our society and the steps the Netherlands is taking to prepare for it.

The urgency is clear. Digital dependencies are now intertwined with almost every vital function in our society. Energy, drinking water, transport, healthcare and communications all depend on digital systems. As a result, a cyber incident is increasingly unlikely to remain confined to an IT environment. When digital systems fail, the consequences can be felt directly in the physical world.

Threats and opportunities with AI

At the same time, the threat itself is changing. State actors and cybercriminals have increasingly sophisticated capabilities and are using technologies that can make attacks faster and more scalable. Generative AI is playing an increasingly important role. Artificial intelligence can, for example, help develop malware, automate parts of attacks and analyse large amounts of information more quickly.

But the same technology also creates opportunities for defenders. Security teams can use AI for analysis, detection and response. The challenge is therefore not only to understand new technology, but to make our defence at least as agile and scalable as the threat.

Executive responsibility

That requires more than technology alone. Cybersecurity is increasingly an executive responsibility. Organisations must not only think about preventing incidents, but also about what happens when an attack is successful. Which systems are truly critical? Which suppliers and digital infrastructure do we depend on? And how do we ensure that essential services continue when systems are disrupted?

The new Cybersecurity Act and the Critical Entities Resilience Act have provided an important new impetus since August 2026. The legislation introduces new responsibilities and obligations for thousands of organisations. This establishes a clear baseline for resilience. But legislation alone does not make an organisation resilient. Ultimately, it comes down to how risks are governed, systems are designed and organisations prepare for disruption.

The renewed NCSC

The government itself is also changing. Since January 2026, the Digital Trust Center and the National Cyber Security Centre have been brought together in the strengthened NCSC. This has created a single national point of contact for the digital resilience of 2.4 million Dutch organisations. The renewed NCSC is intended to identify threats earlier, respond more quickly and provide its services on a larger scale.

In the field of national security, the Netherlands is also examining how it can adapt to an increasingly fast-moving threat landscape. At the end of August, the government opened a proposal for a new Wet bescherming nationale veiligheid door de inlichtingen- en veiligheidsdiensten (Wbnv) for consultation. The proposal is intended to enable the AIVD and MIVD to respond more quickly to specific threats, with a renewed system of independent oversight and safeguards for the rule of law.

A digitally resilient Netherlands

Ultimately, digital resilience comes down to a combination of technology, organisation and people. We cannot prevent every cyberattack. But we can make sure that an attack does not automatically lead to major societal disruption.

That is exactly what Minister David van Weel will address in his keynote “Building a cyber-resilient Netherlands” at Cybersec Netherlands 2026: how do we build a Netherlands that is not only digitally secure, but digitally resilient?

Visit Cybersec Netherlands 2026

Discover the latest developments in cybersecurity at Cybersec Netherlands on 9 and 10 September 2026 at Jaarbeurs Utrecht. Get inspired by experts, real-world cases and innovative solutions.