Russian Hackers Turn Dutch Highways Into Speed Camera Dead Zones

Racing down the Rijksweg 4 used to mean watching for those familiar gray boxes perched on overhead gantries. Not anymore. Dozens of speed cameras across major Dutch roads sat powerless after Russian state-linked hackers crippled the systems that connect them to law enforcement databases. The July 17 cyberattack on the Netherlands' Public Prosecution Service didn't just steal data. It neutered an entire traffic enforcement network indefinitely.

The hackers exploited a Citrix NetScaler zero-day vulnerability that the Dutch National Cyber Security Centre had flagged in June. Yet the Public Prosecution Service (OM) failed to implement patches promptly, reportedly allowing attackers unfettered access for at least three weeks. During that time, Russian operatives burrowed deep into systems containing active court cases, police investigations, and staff sensitive data.

Speed cameras might seem like low-stakes targets, but these systems store far more than just license plate snapshots. The compromised infrastructure spans critical A and N roads nationwide, affecting:

The cameras themselves escaped direct compromise, but they depend on a tightly linked digital chain:

Reconnecting without full confidence in the system's integrity risks re-exposing the network or transmitting tainted data. A CVOM spokesperson described the prolonged outage as unprecedented—routine maintenance briefly takes cameras offline, but never leaves them dark systemwide due to security concerns. Officials refuse to disclose which specific cameras are affected, fearing drivers would exploit the gaps.

Security experts link the attack to Dutch-led investigations into Russian war crimes and the MH17 airliner downing.

This wasn't random cybercrime. The timing suggests retaliation for the Netherlands' prominent role investigating the 2014 MH17 shutdown and Russian war crimes.

Dutch drivers have responded with irony and celebration—social media posts joke about requesting similar "help" elsewhere in Europe—yet the incident underscores a grim reality: geopolitical tensions now disrupt mundane daily systems, from traffic enforcement to critical utilities.

The attack exposes how modern warfare reaches beyond military targets into the mundane technology governing daily life. This incident reflects a broader pattern of Russian cyberattacks targeting European NATO allies' infrastructure due to their support for Ukraine. When geopolitical tensions can disable the cameras monitoring morning commutes, no infrastructure feels genuinely secure anymore, highlighting the importance of robust cybersecurity measures.

Sources