Pro-Russian hackers target NATO summit with coordinated attacks

In the Netherlands, pro-Russian hackers have targeted several municipalities and organizations linked to a NATO summit occurring on June 24 and 25, 2025. The Dutch government reported a series of denial-of-service attacks that began on Monday, coinciding with the preparations for the summit. This escalation in cyber-attacks appears to have been orchestrated by a group known as NoName057(16), who follows pro-Russian ideological motives. The attacks overwhelmed various online services, increasing traffic and causing disruptions but did not impact the overall functioning of critical services in The Hague where the summit is being held. On the same day, Dutch authorities initiated an investigation into a separate incident involving possible sabotage against the rail network. This investigation was prompted by a power outage affecting train services to and from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, which occurred just as leaders began arriving for the NATO event. Emergency officials suspect that fires set deliberately in around 30 rail cables may have caused the outage. The Justice Minister of Netherlands, David van Weel, indicated that the sabotage could have been instigated by an activist group or potentially another state. The incidents have raised security concerns, leading to an unprecedented security operation called Orange Shield. This operation encompasses extensive measures, including road closures and airspace restrictions, as around 27,000 police officers and more than 10,000 military personnel are deployed to ensure the safety of world leaders attending the summit. It is the largest security mobilization in Dutch history, underscoring the high stakes and tensions surrounding this NATO gathering. In addition to the cyber threat and possible sabotage, past events have indicated that critical infrastructure could be intentional targets during significant international events. Last year, similar actions were observed in France prior to the Olympic Games, where coordinated sabotage was executed on key rail routes, demonstrating a pattern of targeting transport networks during global events. As investigations continue, authorities are coordinating with international cybersecurity experts to reinforce defenses against ongoing attacks and to identify the perpetrators behind these incidents.