The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Monday that it is investigating a new “sophisticated and targeted” cyberattack that struck its systems late last week. The breach was detected and contained by the ICC’s internal alert and response mechanisms, and a court-wide impact analysis is underway to assess any damage or potential data compromise. The ICC has not disclosed details about the nature of the attack, its impact, or the identity or motive of the attackers, and declined to say whether any confidential information was accessed or stolen.
The attack occurred during the same week as a major NATO summit in The Hague, which saw increased cyber activity and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks on Dutch institutions, some claimed by pro-Kremlin hacker groups. The ICC stated that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure business continuity, and steps are being taken to mitigate any effects of the incident.
This is the second major cyberattack targeting the ICC in recent years; a previous incident in September 2023 was described as an act of cyber espionage, with persistent attempts to disrupt the court’s operations. The ICC is currently handling sensitive investigations, including issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, and for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the deportation of Ukrainian children. These cases have made the court a target for political pressure, disinformation, and cyber threats from states that dispute its jurisdiction
