We explain why trying to negotiate with the authorities is always a bad idea.
In Ridderkerk, the Netherlands, a police error led to a data leak , and an attempt to quickly restore access to official files resulted in the arrest of a local resident. According to law enforcement, the man was able to download confidential documents and refused to voluntarily delete them.
The incident occurred on February 12. Police detained a 40-year-old resident of Ridderkerk on suspicion of unauthorized access to computer data. The man, who had contacted police regarding another investigation, was planning to hand over materials that could assist the investigation. The employee sent a link to download the files but mistakenly shared the download link. As a result, the recipient gained access to internal documents and was able to download them.
After police realized they had sent the wrong link, they demanded the man cease and deletion and delete the files he had received. According to police, he refused, stating that he would only do so if he received "something in return." Law enforcement then decided to detain him, search his home, and seize the media in order to bring the materials under control and reduce the risk of distribution. It's worth noting that Dutch police were also investigating other cases related to unauthorized access during the same period : in mid-February, a distributor of the JokerOTP one-time password interception service was arrested.
The police also clarified that in such cases, downloading may fall under the computer hacking statute . If a person understands they were supposed to receive a link to send files, not download them, and is specifically warned not to download, but still takes the files, this may be considered unauthorized access, since the documents were clearly not intended for the recipient.
The police have not reported any indications of further dissemination of the materials. The leak has been officially recorded, and standard response procedures have been initiated—similar to the police investigation into the Coupang data leak, conducting searches and seizing internal documents. An investigation into the circumstances is ongoing.
In Ridderkerk, the Netherlands, a police error led to a data leak , and an attempt to quickly restore access to official files resulted in the arrest of a local resident. According to law enforcement, the man was able to download confidential documents and refused to voluntarily delete them.
The incident occurred on February 12. Police detained a 40-year-old resident of Ridderkerk on suspicion of unauthorized access to computer data. The man, who had contacted police regarding another investigation, was planning to hand over materials that could assist the investigation. The employee sent a link to download the files but mistakenly shared the download link. As a result, the recipient gained access to internal documents and was able to download them.
After police realized they had sent the wrong link, they demanded the man cease and deletion and delete the files he had received. According to police, he refused, stating that he would only do so if he received "something in return." Law enforcement then decided to detain him, search his home, and seize the media in order to bring the materials under control and reduce the risk of distribution. It's worth noting that Dutch police were also investigating other cases related to unauthorized access during the same period : in mid-February, a distributor of the JokerOTP one-time password interception service was arrested.
The police also clarified that in such cases, downloading may fall under the computer hacking statute . If a person understands they were supposed to receive a link to send files, not download them, and is specifically warned not to download, but still takes the files, this may be considered unauthorized access, since the documents were clearly not intended for the recipient.
The police have not reported any indications of further dissemination of the materials. The leak has been officially recorded, and standard response procedures have been initiated—similar to the police investigation into the Coupang data leak, conducting searches and seizing internal documents. An investigation into the circumstances is ongoing.
