The Dutch Football Association has admitted that it paid a ransom to a group of hackers who hacked into the association’s official database and stole confidential information from it.
A group of hackers hacked into the databases of the Dutch Football Association and threatened to publish all the information if their demands are not met.
The Dutch Football Association has not disclosed or clarified who this data is associated with, nor the extent of its confidentiality, confidentiality and importance, especially since it is associated with the Dutch national team as well as local league clubs at various levels.
The Dutch Football Association explained in an official statement that it tried, with the help of a team of experts, to find out the source of the pirates in order to reach them, but they failed, resulting in them paying a ransom. and eventually give in to the demands.
The statement highlighted that the experts were unable to determine the type of data that was stolen or accessed, which left them in a dilemma as they were unable to find a satisfactory and reassuring solution to combat the criminals.
He added: “They may have obtained files containing personal data, and their publication could lead to consequences that would harm the privacy of their owners.”
He continued: “For us, preventing the spread of this data is much more important than the principle of not being blackmailed, and this is what led to the agreement with the hackers, under the supervision of an expert, not to publish or delete the data.”
The Dutch federation refused to be deceived by the attackers’ accusations or promises not to publish information, stressing that it apologizes for the inappropriate position that could lead to the publication of information if the hackers violate the agreement.
The Dutch federation has been heavily criticized by some fans on social media, with them calling the matter a “scandal”, especially since the details of hundreds of people could be exposed at any time within the coming period.
Source: Agencies