European Union -

SINTESI / SIPA

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has called on his government to strengthen digital security after a journalist broke into a confidential videoconference of European Union defense ministers.

He used data from Dutch Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld, which was visible in an image posted to his Twitter account.

Ank Bijleveld, who is under quarantine, works from his home.

Documents lying on his desk were visible in this image, according to RTL Nieuws.

The reporter discovered five of the six digits of the secret code and soon after managed to gain access to the meeting.

That @danielverlaan hack of the EU defense ministers' meeting?

This is how it looked from the inside.

Comedy gold.

pic.twitter.com/1qvVYKsDpt

- Michiel van Hulten (@mvanhulten) November 20, 2020

"I'm sorry I'm leaving"

The footage shows the smiling journalist, in a black T-shirt, waving his hands in the direction of the ministers.

"Do you know you're breaking into a secret conference?"

», The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell is offended.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry.

I am a Dutch journalist, ”answers Daniel Verlaan as we hear the laughter of the other conference participants in the background.

"I'm sorry I interrupted your conference, I'm leaving," he adds.

"It's a criminal offense, you should cut (the connection) before the police arrive," he is told.

According to RTL, Daniel Verlaan quickly left the conference, which was immediately canceled for security reasons.

Photo removed from Twitter

This incident shows that "ministers must once again realize how careful" we have to be on Twitter, said Mark Rutte at his weekly press conference.

The minister's image has in the meantime been removed, an official from the Ministry of Defense told RTL.

“It was a stupid mistake.

But she reminds you that you have to be careful when sending an image of a meeting, ”he said.

An EU diplomatic source said that "the lack of security of communications forced the work to be cut immediately."

The EU notes "that it is imperative to strengthen the security of communications of the institutions", added this source.

The "subject is laughing, but is considered very serious," she said.

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