Cyber flaw temporarily shuts down websites in Maastricht
A serious security flaw took many websites offline on Wednesday, including DigiD and Maastricht University. This type of incident is expected to happen more often.
Many websites were temporarily unreachable on Wednesday because of a serious security flaw. This included DigiD (the Dutch digital identity system for logging into government services) and MijnOverheid (a government portal for personal official matters), as well as websites of municipalities, hospitals and Maastricht University in Limburg.
What is happening?
The problem was in software used by a large share of all websites worldwide, estimated at around 70 percent. A vulnerability in this software allowed attackers to break in and steal sensitive data. Many organisations decided to take their websites offline as a precaution. Around 4pm an update became available to fix the flaw. Companies have since been working to install it, so more and more websites are coming back online. It may take a while before everything is fully restored. Experts expect this type of incident to happen more often in the future, partly due to the rise of artificial intelligence. This technology can help criminals find flaws faster, but can also be used to improve security.
What does this mean for you?
If you use DigiD, MijnOverheid, or other digital services, you may experience temporary problems. This also applies to services from the municipality (gemeente) or healthcare institutions in the region.
- Could you not log in to a government website? Try again later, as many sites are now reachable again.
- Do you urgently need to submit an application or letter and can’t do it online? Contact the organisation by phone instead.
- Do you manage a small website yourself? Contact your hosting provider to check whether the security update has been installed.
Good to know
If you need help with an application, letter, or contacting an official body because a website is not working, you can get free support at the SAB help desk.