Dutch internet sector introduces new codes of conduct
Dutch internet sector introduces new codes of conduct
“Police seize 127 servers belonging to hosting provider ZServers/XHost”
“Dutch police seize 250 servers from bulletproof hosting provider”
“Netherlands Seizes 800 Servers, Arrests 2 for Aiding Cyberattacks”
It’s no secret that the hosting sector in the Netherlands doesn’t always have the best reputation. A great deal of harmful content and activity is hosted from Dutch data centres: command & control servers, malware, CSAM and just about every other form of abuse imaginable. While infrastructure in the Netherlands is often used for these activities, the companies behind them are not necessarily Dutch. Both legitimate and malicious foreign internet companies are attracted to the Netherlands because of its excellent internet infrastructure.
The sector takes responsibility
What’s less well known is that the Dutch internet sector has launched numerous initiatives to keep this kind of abuse off its infrastructure. These range from sharing knowledge through the Anti-Abuse Network to sharing lists of ‘bad resellers’. The sector is taking responsibility.
Two updated codes of conduct
Today, the internet sector is introducing new versions of two codes of conduct designed to reduce and, where possible, prevent abuse involving Dutch companies. The first code to be updated is the Notice-and-Take-Down Code of Conduct. When the document was introduced in 2008, it was groundbreaking: for the first time, the internet sector, law enforcement and a wide range of stakeholder organisations worked together to clean up the Dutch internet. The new version of the NTD Code has been rewritten to reflect new legislation, such as the DSA, as well as technological developments.
The first version of the Abuse Prevention Code of Conduct was published in 2021, and today a new version is being released. While the NTD Code primarily sets out how providers should carefully handle reports of illegal or unlawful content, the Abuse Prevention Code of Conduct takes a broader view: what can you, as a provider, do to prevent abuse of your infrastructure, detect it more quickly and take care of it effectively?
The measures described include establishing an abuse policy, requiring abuse reports to be followed up and terminating services to clients who fail to comply with the abuse policy.
From codes of conduct to a cleaner internet
As a co-author of both documents, BIT wholeheartedly recommends adopting these codes. And if, as an internet provider, you are already working on this issue, it is also worth taking a look at CleanNetworks. You’ll find even more resources there to help prevent or limit abuse of your infrastructure.
There is a commercial consideration too. After years of lobbying, the Minister of Justice and Security stated in the latest letter to the Dutch House of Representatives on the subject that the Dutch government will, hopefully in the near future, only procure hosting services from providers that proactively work towards a cleaner internet.
By Wido Potters
