The International Criminal Court (ICC), headquartered in The Hague, has announced it detected a “new, sophisticated and targeted cyber security incident” that occurred late last week. This attack took place as NATO leaders gathered in The Hague for a summit. In a statement, the ICC confirmed the incident was “swiftly discovered, confirmed and contained, through the Court's alert and response mechanisms.” The court is now conducting a “Court-wide impact analysis” and taking steps to mitigate any effects. However, details regarding the identity of the perpetrators or whether any sensitive information was compromised have not been disclosed. This incident marks the second major cyberattack against the ICC in the past two years. A previous attack in September 2023 was described as a serious attempt to undermine the court's mandate with the objective of espionage. The aftermath of that breach was lengthy, with reports that WiFi at the court's purpose-built headquarters had still not been completely restored. The ICC is at the center of several high-profile investigations, making it a prime target. The court is investigating allegations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine and has issued a war crimes arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin. Additionally, the court recently issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, over the military campaign in Gaza. These actions have drawn significant political pressure and threats against the court and its officials. The attack coincided with a series of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against Dutch government bodies and institutions during the NATO summit, which were claimed by pro-Russian hacktivist groups. Dutch authorities are also investigating a power outage that disrupted train traffic, with the justice minister not ruling out sabotage. The ICC, established in 2002 by the Rome Statute, is responsible for prosecuting individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The court emphasized that support from its States Parties is crucial for its “capacity to implement its critical mandate of justice and accountability.” Dutch law enforcement authorities are currently conducting a criminal investigation into the attack.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague confirmed it sustained a "sophisticated and targeted" cyberattack. The incident, which was detected and contained, marks the second major attack against the court in recent years, raising security concerns amid high-profile investigations.
