There came a time when analog things became valuable again.
The Netherlands decided to prepare in advance for the script, which until recently sounded like a plot of a technodreller. The authorities of the country are developing a “digital set in case of emergency” so that state structures and ordinary residents can survive with a large-scale communication failure, up to a nationwide Internet shutdown.
The Minister for Digital Economy and Sovereignty Willemane Erdts told about the work on such a set. According to the head of the department, the Hague has been at peace with high dependence on foreign technology suppliers for too long and is now forced to recognize the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.
The cause of alarm is primarily related to the role of American companies in the country’s key digital services. The Netherlands uses cloud platforms from the United States to host sites, and government agencies, municipalities and schools rely on Microsoft software products on a large scale. Recently, the Treasury Department instructed Fast Enterprises to update the outdated IT systems for VAT collection. Another sensitive episode is related to Kyndryl’s interest in purchasing Solvinity, a provider of DigiD, a service for online identity support when accessing public services.
Against this background, the Cabinet of Ministers wants to accelerate the development of the national and pan-European digital ecosystem. Willemane Erudts believes that the software for the country should not depend on one state, but should be based on a wider range of European developers.
The future digital set is conceived as a practical plan of action in the event of a serious digital crisis. We are talking not only about the work of departments, but also about the domestic readiness of citizens. The ministry proposes to discuss in advance with relatives how to act with inaccessible mobile communication, keep paper lists of phones and addresses at hand, as well as write down drug names in case the usual services stop working.
The authorities assume that in a major emergency, the population must be able to autonomously live at least 72 hours. Such a scenario includes not only the disconnection of the Internet, but also interruptions in the work of towers, emergency lines and bank cards. Previously, the government has already sent the residents of the memo with advice on such a case. Now preparation is reaching a new level – with the expectation that the digital crisis may one day become a real test.
The Netherlands decided to prepare in advance for the script, which until recently sounded like a plot of a technodreller. The authorities of the country are developing a “digital set in case of emergency” so that state structures and ordinary residents can survive with a large-scale communication failure, up to a nationwide Internet shutdown.
The Minister for Digital Economy and Sovereignty Willemane Erdts told about the work on such a set. According to the head of the department, the Hague has been at peace with high dependence on foreign technology suppliers for too long and is now forced to recognize the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.
The cause of alarm is primarily related to the role of American companies in the country’s key digital services. The Netherlands uses cloud platforms from the United States to host sites, and government agencies, municipalities and schools rely on Microsoft software products on a large scale. Recently, the Treasury Department instructed Fast Enterprises to update the outdated IT systems for VAT collection. Another sensitive episode is related to Kyndryl’s interest in purchasing Solvinity, a provider of DigiD, a service for online identity support when accessing public services.
Against this background, the Cabinet of Ministers wants to accelerate the development of the national and pan-European digital ecosystem. Willemane Erudts believes that the software for the country should not depend on one state, but should be based on a wider range of European developers.
The future digital set is conceived as a practical plan of action in the event of a serious digital crisis. We are talking not only about the work of departments, but also about the domestic readiness of citizens. The ministry proposes to discuss in advance with relatives how to act with inaccessible mobile communication, keep paper lists of phones and addresses at hand, as well as write down drug names in case the usual services stop working.
The authorities assume that in a major emergency, the population must be able to autonomously live at least 72 hours. Such a scenario includes not only the disconnection of the Internet, but also interruptions in the work of towers, emergency lines and bank cards. Previously, the government has already sent the residents of the memo with advice on such a case. Now preparation is reaching a new level – with the expectation that the digital crisis may one day become a real test.
