Cyberattack against International Court of Justice in The Hague
ICJ provides no details on cyberattack and perpetrator but has been in Russia’s cross-hairs for a long time.
On September 19, 2023, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), based in The Hague in the Netherlands, declared it had been the target of a malicious cyber intrusion over the week of September 11, 2023. “Immediate measure were taken to respond to the cybersecurity incident and mitigate its effects,” stated the ICJ in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The international court, which handles cases of war crimes and genocide, gave no details as to the nature, scope, duration or source of the attack. However, the ICJ has been a target for Russia for several years, which makes Moscow a prime suspect in the matter.
In 2018, six members of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence, were caught red-handed spying on the ICJ. More recently, in June 2022, Dutch police apprehended a Russian military officer attempting to impersonate a Brazilian intern with the ICJ.
In its yearly report published in April 2023, Dutch intelligence (AIVD) pointed out that the ICJ was “of interest to Russia, as it is investigating possible Russian war crimes in Georgia and Ukraine.”