Dutch companies, institutions and banks are increasingly being used as a testing ground for viruses developed by cyber criminals from eastern European countries and China, the Telegraaf reports on Friday.

The paper bases its claims on statements by computer security experts following the discovery that a new variant of the Dorifel virus has struck in the Netherlands. In addition, last month, hackers from Ukraine were able to access ING bank customer details, the paper points out.
The Dorifel virus manifests itself as a message from Dutch performing rights organisation Buma/Stemra, which states the user has to pay a €100 fine for illegal downloading. The computer then goes into lock-down.
Consumers
‘It is advanced, difficult to detect and aimed directly at consumers,’ Mark Loman of digital security company Surfight told the paper. ‘We immediately informed the national cyber security centre.’
‘The real crooks can buy a botnet for less than €1,000 and cause an unbelievable amount of damage with it,’ former Dutch army chief Dick Berlijn told the paper.
‘Multinationals need to exchange far more information and be a lot more alert to the threats,’ he said. Berlijn now works for Deloitte’s cybercrime unit.
Next month Amsterdam will host a conference on cyber crime. European commissioner Neelie Kroes and anti-terrorism tsar Erik Akerboom are among the attendees, the paper says.
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