DongIT in the media

For a summer series on essential professions, Dutch daily Nederlands Dagblad spent a day with Wouter van Dongen of DongIT. The feature looks back at his early fascination with hacking and shows how he now applies that experience to cybersecurity research, penetration testing and physical security assessments. From examining security cameras to testing access to buildings, the article offers a broad look at the work of an ethical hacker.

DongIT explains what the European NIS2 Directive means for petrol-station operators. Major risks often lie with suppliers; DongIT advises organisations to put the fundamentals in place and prepare a simple contingency plan for system failures.

Tweakers asked eight security researchers, including Wouter van Dongen of DongIT, to respond to ten propositions about the legal and ethical boundaries of hacking. The article explores dilemmas involving hacking cybercriminals, ransomware payments, responsible disclosure and security research without prior authorisation. Van Dongen explains how proportionality, societal impact and sharing findings with law enforcement factor into decisions in these grey areas.

Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf spoke with ethical hacker Wouter van Dongen of DongIT about Mythos, an Anthropic AI model designed to identify vulnerabilities and combine them into complete attack chains. Van Dongen questions some of the claims surrounding the system and describes part of the attention as marketing hype. In his view, AI primarily enables security research to be performed faster and at greater scale, while there is still insufficient independent information to describe Mythos as a fundamental breakthrough in offensive cybersecurity.

Following breaches at organisations including Odido, Basic-Fit, Booking.com and Rituals, DongIT explains why the problem is larger than many people realise. Its advice: use strong unique passwords, enable two-factor authentication and remain alert to suspicious links.

In an interview following the Odido hack, DongIT shows how criminals can penetrate organisations. Examples involving a hospital, water authorities and camera systems illustrate practical steps organisations can take to become more resilient.

Following the cyberattack on Odido, in which data from 6.2 million customer accounts was stolen, DongIT and TU Delft researcher Rolf van Wegberg provide context. DongIT explains how attackers exploit software flaws or phishing and stresses that, given enough time and money, anything can be hacked.

In Computer Idee, ethical hacker Wouter van Dongen discusses his security research into low-cost internet-connected cameras sold through platforms such as Temu and AliExpress. He explains how vulnerabilities in these devices can expose highly sensitive camera footage and why inexpensive smart devices can create privacy and security risks. The article also includes practical advice for consumers on choosing and safely using connected cameras.

De Telegraaf examined the large-scale fraud industry behind fake advertisements and AI deepfakes. DongIT explained how professionally these networks operate, how they misuse European infrastructure and why platforms play a key role in preventing harm.

VRT NWS investigative programme Pano asked DongIT and ethical hacker Wouter van Dongen to investigate the network behind large-scale fraudulent Facebook advertisements. During the investigation, Van Dongen found a platform offering tens of thousands of fake ads and gained insight into how the network was organised. Based on his analysis, he estimated that the network he investigated could be generating between €80 million and €120 million per year.

For Trouw’s citizens’ cabinet, DongIT addressed digital security. Wouter van Dongen advocates a dedicated ministry of digital affairs, warns about AI voice cloning and deepfakes, and argues that government should retain control of sensitive data instead of moving everything to American cloud services.

In an article about the digital driving licence, DongIT explained why selective data sharing is essential. Wouter van Dongen warned about phishing, misuse of data and the risk of citizens disclosing more personal information than necessary.

Trouw examined the rise of robocalls and AI-generated voices in telephone fraud. Wouter van Dongen explained how AI makes scams more convincing and makes genuine voices increasingly difficult to distinguish from imitations.

In an article and SBS6 broadcast, DongIT demonstrates how easily the servers of a major Chinese camera manufacturer could be compromised. The vulnerability was reported repeatedly, but the manufacturer barely responded. DongIT advises consumers to consider whether they really need such devices and to be cautious when buying products from outside the EU.

DongIT tested low-cost Chinese security cameras sold through Temu and AliExpress and found severe security weaknesses. Within a day, researchers could view live feeds from homes and offices across Europe. DongIT warns that every connected product can become an entry point into private life.

In the PowNed television programme Made in China, ethical hacker Wouter van Dongen examines the security and privacy risks associated with low-cost Chinese electronics. He demonstrates how seemingly harmless smart devices, including a Chinese home security camera, can introduce security risks. The programme brings together several experts to explore the wider impact of products ordered directly from Chinese online marketplaces.

AD covered the theft of highly sensitive personal data belonging to hundreds of thousands of women from Clinical Diagnostics. DongIT explained why stolen citizen service numbers and medical data create serious risks of identity fraud, phishing and extortion.

Following the theft of medical data from Clinical Diagnostics, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf spoke with ethical hacker Wouter van Dongen of DongIT about cybersecurity risks within large organisations. Van Dongen explains how outdated systems, complex applications and unclear responsibilities can increase exposure to data breaches. He also discusses why medical information is particularly attractive to cybercriminals, how attackers search at scale for vulnerable systems and why paying a ransomware demand offers no guarantee that stolen data will not still be misused.

Het Nieuwsblad reported on a Belgian couple who lost almost €100,000 to cryptocurrency fraud through fake celebrity advertisements. DongIT had previously exposed the Russian network behind the scam, which affected more than a thousand Belgians and used key servers in the Netherlands.

VRT NWS and De Standaard reported on ethical hacker Wouter van Dongen’s investigation into a Russian network behind fraudulent advertisements featuring well-known Belgians. He mapped the infrastructure used in a scheme that cost Belgian victims millions of euros.

De Stentor and Omroep Flevoland reported on DongIT’s investigation for Radar into an international fake-advertising scam. The articles explain how Dutch infrastructure, including a data centre in Dronten, supported the fraudulent network.

Commissioned by Radar, DongIT mapped the network behind fraudulent advertisements featuring Dutch celebrities. The investigation exposed a Russian organisation that defrauded tens of thousands of people worldwide and operated part of its infrastructure from a data centre in Dronten. The findings were shared with the police.

NU.nl investigated the rise of caller-ID spoofing, in which scammers make a random or trusted telephone number appear on a victim’s screen. Wouter van Dongen explains how number spoofing works and why people should remain cautious even when a call appears legitimate.

Radar investigated misleading Instagram advertisements that used the names and images of Dutch celebrities to direct consumers to fraudulent websites. Wouter van Dongen analyses the technology behind the campaigns and shows how the associated scam sites are constructed.

Prime Minister Dick Schoof requires ministers to store mobile devices in a safe during official meetings to protect state secrets. De Telegraaf asked DongIT ethical hacker Wouter van Dongen why phones and other connected devices can create surveillance and security risks.

In a Samen Digitaal Veilig round-table, construction businesses and DongIT discuss how the sector can work more securely online. A cybersecurity assessment provides practical examples involving IT processes, supply-chain risks and business continuity that construction companies can address.

Following a report by the Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs, NPO Radio 1 examined the Netherlands’ resilience to hybrid threats. Wouter van Dongen warns that the country is digitally naïve and must make cybersecurity part of its preparations for crises and conflict.

International law-enforcement agencies disrupted the LockBit ransomware infrastructure after victims included the Royal Dutch Football Association. De Telegraaf asked Wouter van Dongen how ransomware attacks work and what organisations can do to reduce their exposure.

NPO Radio 1 podcast Vroeg! discusses the possible extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to the United States. Wouter van Dongen explores the tensions between journalism, espionage law, the public interest and unauthorised access to information.

In BNL Magazine, published by the Dutch construction industry association Bouwend Nederland, Wouter van Dongen of DongIT discusses how his fascination with technology and security started at an early age. The interview connects that curiosity to his work as an ethical hacker and explores what companies in the construction sector can learn about cybersecurity and digital resilience.

De Telegraaf reports how child sexual abuse material is easily shared on Telegram and how limited the authorities’ options are. DongIT ethical hacker Wouter van Dongen explains that Telegram is designed for anonymity while remaining highly accessible, making the service easy to misuse.

Samen Digitaal Veilig profiles Wouter van Dongen’s journey from a curious young hacker to a cybersecurity professional. He shares practical lessons about ethical hacking, vulnerabilities and the measures organisations can take to defend themselves against digital attacks.

Dutch weekly magazine Vriendin asked Wouter van Dongen how vulnerable consumers are online. The DongIT ethical hacker offers practical guidance on passwords, privacy and safer internet use to help readers strengthen their everyday digital resilience.

In the SBS6 programme Mr. Frank Visser doet uitspraak, a woman suspects her neighbour’s son of hacking her devices. DongIT ethical hacker Wouter van Dongen examines the technical evidence and helps distinguish facts from assumptions in the dispute.

Binnenlands Bestuur investigated industrial control systems used for sewers, locks and traffic lights. Wouter van Dongen explains how poorly secured Internet of Things devices can be found through search engines such as Shodan and why vendors must provide security updates quickly.

In the NPO 3 programme Klaas Kan Alles, presenter Klaas van Kruistum and DongIT test the physical and digital security of the municipality of Velsen. Their challenge is to enter city hall and present Klaas as the new mayor on the municipal website.

Binnenlands Bestuur answers eight practical questions that municipalities can use to assess their cyber resilience. Wouter van Dongen explains why penetration tests need sufficient scope, why retesting matters and how decision-makers can look beyond security standards on paper.

Binnenlands Bestuur followed Wouter van Dongen during physical and digital security assessments at Dutch municipalities. He demonstrates why attackers often gain access with surprising ease and warns that certificates and compliance checklists cannot replace a realistic penetration test.

Following the disruptive cyberattack on the municipality of Hof van Twente, RTV Oost asked how attackers gain access to an organisation. Wouter van Dongen explains how weak passwords, phishing and inadequate safeguards can leave computer systems exposed.

NU.nl asked DongIT about the sex bots that flood social media with deceptive and sexually suggestive messages. The interview explains where these automated profiles come from, what their operators hope to achieve and the risks users face when they engage with them.

NPO Radio 1 spoke with DongIT ethical hackers about responsible vulnerability disclosure, including the discovery of Donald Trump’s Twitter password. The interview shows how hackers can use their technical knowledge to prevent harm instead of exploiting systems.

Dutch television programme RamBam investigated how online elections, competitions and opinion polls can be manipulated. DongIT demonstrated the technical weaknesses that enable online voting fraud and explained why organisers should scrutinise the reliability of digital results.

A complaints system for residents near Schiphol Airport was taken offline after a security vulnerability was discovered. The flaw may have exposed information belonging to almost 60,000 people, prompting coverage by several Dutch news outlets.

During a physical security assessment, a DongIT tester entered restricted areas of Arnhem city hall without an access pass on four occasions. De Gelderlander examined why the municipality decided not to introduce additional safeguards despite those findings.

DongIT specialists from Leiden gave children aged 8 to 12 a practical introduction to hacking and online safety. At libraries in Uden and Oss, participants learned how hackers think and why secure online behaviour matters.

In his TEDx talk, Wouter van Dongen traces how hacking evolved from student experimentation into a professional and sometimes disruptive industry. Using ransomware and vulnerable digital infrastructure as examples, he explains why internet security concerns everyone.

SecurityVandaag profiles Wouter van Dongen after he reached Bugcrowd’s global all-time top ten within a single year. The achievement highlights DongIT’s experience in responsibly finding and reporting vulnerabilities across a wide range of digital systems.

A year after its first banking investigation, DongIT again found serious XSS vulnerabilities at ABN AMRO, SNS Bank and Triodos Bank. The flaws could be abused to present customers with manipulated content and intercept login credentials.

Computer Idee reconstructs how Wouter van Dongen discovered a vulnerability in his own bank’s website by chance. Further DongIT research revealed that nine other Dutch banks were susceptible to the same type of XSS attack.

DongIT’s research into XSS vulnerabilities at Dutch banks prompted questions in the Dutch parliament. The coverage addresses both the technical risks to online banking and finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem’s response to the findings.

DongIT found XSS vulnerabilities at ten Dutch banks that could be used to overlay convincing phishing pages on genuine banking websites. Tweakers and NU.nl covered the research and the risks to customers who believed they were using a trusted website.

In the Responsible Disclosures interview series, Chris van ’t Hof speaks with Wouter van Dongen about the DigiD security controversy. They discuss vulnerabilities in public services, responsible disclosure and the role ethical hackers play in improving digital government security.

Follow-up research by DongIT showed that many Dutch municipal websites remained vulnerable because of outdated software. The findings demonstrated how poor maintenance of web systems could affect DigiD users and the security of municipal data.

During the Dutch Lektober security campaign, DongIT uncovered XSS vulnerabilities on government websites connected to DigiD. Attackers could hijack user sessions and potentially perform transactions in a victim’s name, drawing national attention to DigiD security.

DongIT investigated the security of Dutch municipal websites and found that almost a quarter were running outdated software. The vulnerabilities left municipal databases and confidential documents inadequately protected.