What the latest threat report from the NCSC means for ordinary Dutch users

Disclaimer: This article is a press release and Newsbit is not responsible for the content, accuracy or completeness of the information provided. This article does not constitute financial advice. Investing in cryptocurrencies or pre-sales involves significant risks, including the risk of losing your entire investment. Always do your own research before making any investment decisions.

The National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) and the NCSC recently published the Cybersecurity Assessment Netherlands 2025. This report outlines a threat landscape that is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable for both large companies and ordinary consumers. Although the political focus is often strongly on national vital infrastructures, in practice these far-reaching digital developments affect private internet users and crypto investors just as hard.

The growing threat of online crime

According to the latest data from Statistics Netherlands, no fewer than 2.5 million Dutch people fell victim to online crime last year. This impressive number represents almost seventeen percent of the national population aged fifteen and over. 42 percent of all crime victims in our country are now caused by purely digital crimes. This huge shift in statistics unmistakably shows that organized criminals have definitively moved their hunting grounds to the internet. The question for the average consumer is therefore no longer whether you will encounter cybercrime, but rather when exactly this will happen.

For private owners of digital assets such as cryptocurrencies, securing personal equipment is now absolutely vital. To keep your valuable digital assets adequately safe, it is therefore wise to thoroughly read everything about malware in 2026. Hackers continuously try to gain access to systems on a large scale, which resulted in countless hacked private accounts last year. In the CBS statistics we see that 4.7 percent of those affected had to deal with a hacked account, while 2.3 percent reported a completely taken over device. A decisive personal defense always starts with understanding the malicious software that criminals use.

Ransomware and the role of cryptocurrency

One of the most disruptive forms of cybercrime that comes into sharp focus in the government report is ransomware. Recent figures from project Melissa show that at least 121 unique and serious ransomware incidents took place in the Netherlands in the past year. In these complex attacks, cyber criminals encrypt important files or entire networks, causing victims to immediately lose access to their own data. The daily impact of such aggressive ransomware is truly enormous for both large organizations and individual consumers. Without proper preventive security measures, a single virus infection can quickly lead to the permanent loss of irreplaceable private documents and financial wallets.

In these devastating ransomware attacks, the perpetrators invariably demand a significant ransom to eventually release the encrypted files. In almost all cases, this specific ransom is demanded in decentralized cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, as these international transactions are more difficult to trace for local law enforcement authorities. However, security experts and the police always strongly advise against transferring this demanded amount to the criminals under any circumstances. There is no hard guarantee that you will actually receive the promised digital decryption key after the crypto payment. Moreover, with such a payment you financially maintain this particularly lucrative and illegal revenue model for international hacker groups.

Generative artificial intelligence makes attacks more sophisticated

The development of generative artificial intelligence has fundamentally changed the threat landscape. Malicious parties cleverly use this technology to carry out cyber attacks more easily and on a significantly larger scale. We immediately see this effect in the strong increase in purchase fraud, which at 10.3 percent is currently the leader in online crime. Scammers use AI to effortlessly set up convincing fake online stores. As a result, thousands of Dutch people regularly order products that they never receive.

In addition to fake web shops, AI is frequently used to take phishing messages to an unprecedented high level. Last year, as many as two in three Dutch people received a fraudulent email or text message that appeared to come from a well-known bank. The social consequences for victims are considerable. More than 21 percent of those affected indicate that the incident led to emotional, psychological or serious financial problems. Therefore, healthy vigilance in assessing unexpected messages is absolutely more important than ever in this AI era.

Basic digital hygiene as the most important defense

The NCSC concludes in its report that digital threats are becoming more diverse and unpredictable due to geopolitical tensions. The Netherlands is dependent on large technology companies from the United States for many essential digital services, which entails structural security risks. In addition, vulnerable peripherals remain an attractive target for international hacker groups. However, private consumers do not have to be blinded by these complex geopolitical developments. According to the government, most digital incidents among citizens still have their origins in the lack of the required basic digital hygiene.

In preparation for the European Cybersecurity Act of 2026, organizations are required to better secure their networks. For ordinary consumers and crypto investors, the responsibility lies in thoroughly securing their own hardware and accounts. Consistently using unique passwords in combination with two-step verification immediately creates a huge barrier for attackers. In addition, timely software updates are crucial to close discovered security holes in operating systems. By strictly applying these basic principles, you will make yourself significantly more resilient to online threats.

The latest CSBN shows that the online world harbors increasing risks, partly due to the rise of artificial intelligence and ransomware. By remaining constantly alert, distrusting suspicious links and ensuring your basic digital hygiene is in order, you can excellently protect your crypto portfolio.

Disclaimer: This article is a press release and Newsbit is not responsible for the content, accuracy or completeness of the information provided. This article does not constitute financial advice. Investing in cryptocurrencies or pre-sales involves significant risks, including the risk of losing your entire investment. Always do your own research before making any investment decisions.