Online crime is affecting an ever-growing number of residents and entrepreneurs, posing a significant threat to local safety. As society rapidly digitalises, the resilience of individuals and businesses to these threats is lagging behind, while criminals continually invent new ways to deceive, mislead, or exploit people online.
Currently, 42% of all crime victims in the Netherlands are targeted through online crime, with the actual figure likely even higher.
To help local authorities address this challenge systematically, the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) has launched new guidelines for local councillors to tackle online crime, known in Dutch as Raadswijzer Weerbaarheid online criminaliteit (Dutch). This new resource provides councillors with insights into the issue and practical tools to firmly embed digital resilience in local policy.
What does the Raadswijzer offer?
The guidelines in the Raadswijzer support councillors in:
- Prioritising online crime and digital resilience on the agenda.
- Facilitating council discussions on risks, approaches, and responsibilities.
- Setting clear frameworks and ensuring digital security is integrated into municipal plans, such as the Information Provisioning Plan.
Towards 2030: 3 key ambitions
The VNG outlines 3 critical development paths for the coming years:
- Integrated collaboration across all relevant policy domains to enhance the resilience of residents and entrepreneurs.
- Structural funding for tackling online crime, instead of ad-hoc project grants.
- Regular cyber assessments to enable data-driven decision-making and better resource allocation.
More information
The VNG offers a dedicated Dutch-language page for policymakers, administrators, and councillors, featuring tools and publications on digital security.
