On 10 December, an agreement was signed to establish a national cybersecurity platform for Dutch seaports, based on the Cyber Strategy for Dutch Seaports. FERM, previously active in the ports of Rotterdam and Moerdijk, will now become a national platform for all ports in the BOZ association (Groningen, North Sea, Rotterdam, Moerdijk and Amsterdam). The move was initiated by the Ministry of Infrastructure, BOZ and the National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism and Security (NCTV).
Cyber threats to Dutch port infrastructure are growing, threatening the entire supply chain. To increase digital resilience, FERM will be expanded to include coordinating information sharing, training employees and disseminating knowledge among companies. The new director of the platform, Marijn van Schoute, will take up the post from January 2025, also leading the national cooperation of ports on cybersecurity.