On Tuesday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced a computer system compromise at one of the world’s most prominent international institutions that handles sensitive war crimes data.
Late last week, the ICC identified anomalous activity on its computer network, prompting an ongoing reaction. A spokesperson would not comment on the hack’s severity, resolution, or perpetrator.
“Immediate measures were adopted to respond to this cybersecurity incident and mitigate its impact,” the ICC stated briefly.
Since 2002, The Hague has hosted the ICC, a permanent war crimes and crimes against humanity tribunal. Court prosecutors are investigating 17 cases in Ukraine, Uganda, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and the Philippines.
In March, the court issued an arrest order for Russian President Vladimir Putin for illegally deporting Ukrainian children. The Kremlin denies the charges and court jurisdiction.
The ICC does not specify what aspect of its networks was accessed, although highly sensitive information could include criminal evidence and protected witness names.
The court said it was “analyse and mitigate the impact of this incident” with Dutch government help. It stated it was also improving cybersecurity.
A Dutch Justice Ministry official said the National Cyber Security Centre was aiding the inquiry but declined to comment.
Marie-Hélène Proulx, president of the ICC Bar Association, claimed undisclosed security measures had affected defendant and victim lawyers “in the same manner as the court’s staff.”
“We commend efforts… in securing the court’s information systems and hope the situation will be resolved quickly,” she said.
In its 2022 annual report, the AIVD said the ICC was “of interest to Russia because it is investigating possible Russian war crimes in Georgia and Ukraine.” The AIVD revealed in June 2022 that a Russian military spy had impersonated a Brazilian to infiltrate the court.
In August 2023, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan suggested war crimes investigations could include cyber strikes. He warned that the ICC should fortify itself.
In a Microsoft-funded Foreign Policy Analytics report, he wrote, “Disinformation, destruction, the alteration of data, and the leaking of confidential information may obstruct the administration of justice at the ICC and, as such, constitute crimes within the ICC’s jurisdiction that might be investigated or prosecute.” “Prevention is better than cu”e.”
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