Ron Broeders

After successfully completing the Open Eyes investigative journalism course at VersPers, I started as a freelance investigative journalist. As such I mainly write long reads about the impact of technology on people, society and nature. In my work I focus on topics related to sustainability and environment, sustainable energy infrastructure, the energy transition, climate change, cybersecurity and geopolitics, smart technologies, dis- and misinformation and privacy.

My work is published in both regional (Vers Beton, the independent online journalistic platform in Rotterdam and the surrounding area) and national Dutch media (Vrij Nederland and Reporter Radio – currently Pointer) as well as at investigative online platform Small Stream Media. These publications are part of several grants of the Dutch Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten and JournalismFund Europe.

Expertise

Energy transition, cyber security, sustainability and environment, data journalism, freedom of information requests.

Publications

Vrij Nederland – Internet of things devices and their vulnerability for hacks

Vrij Nederland – Dutch wind farms and cyber attacks

Reporter Radio (currently Pointer) – Gaming, e-sports, addiction and gambling authority

Small Stream Media – Energietransitie vs biodiversiteit

Vers Beton – Gaming, e-sports, data collection and privacy

Vers Beton – Russian hackers disrupt Dutch wind farms

Related publications

AI – Kunstmatige intelligentie: Hoe houden we controle over technologie beter dan de mens? (Artificial Intelligence: How do we maintain control over technology that outperforms humans?) – Photography and text – Elektronica

E-waste – Duurzaam design for recycling. Inbedding stelt elektronica-ontwerpers voor uitdagingen (Sustainable design for recycling. Embedding poses challenges for electronics designers) – Photography and text – Elektronica

Featured Article

Russian hackers disrupt Dutch wind farms: How vulnerable is our power grid?

A Russian hack at a German wind turbine manufacturer in 2022 also affected Dutch wind turbines. Some were idle for months, including those at wind farm Oude Maas. A reconstruction of how Europe’s most wanted criminals carried out a hack with potential risks to the power supply on our continent. What about the cybersecurity of our critical infrastructure? And who is monitoring it?

The renewable energy transition is pivotal against climate change and asks for a highly digitalized grid. The resulting interconnected international ecosystem of companies and devices makes it vulnerable to cyber-attacks fuelled by geopolitical tensions, as illustrated by a ransomware attack on German wind turbine manufacturer Nordex at the end of March 2022. The responsible cybercriminals of the notorious ransomware gang Conti bear the fingerprints of the Russian state. The hack disrupted the German company’s supply chain delaying the installation of new wind farms, even across German borders. For instance, wind farm Oude Maas near Rotterdam and two other Dutch wind farms were completed months later than planned.

The Dutch Minister of Climate and Energy responded reassuringly to parliamentary questions. But the delay cost the involved wind farms money and society sustainable energy. Worse, the ransomware attack could have potentially paralyzed the control of wind turbines across Europe that would destabilize the European electricity potentially leading to a black-out. Because Nordex shuts down its computer, they prevent this worst-case scenario. Given the cross-border nature of the incident, an international investigation would be appropriate.

Unfortunately, the cybersecurity of Dutch wind farms depends on German authorities while the national cybersecurity supervisors still do not cooperate much in the supervision of companies that operate across borders. In Germany, the affected company does not fall under critical infrastructure legislation. Following this and because existing wind farms kept producing energy no investigation was being conducted into the hack by the German cybersecurity watchdog. This is striking, since the Conti collective is part of a larger Russian cybercriminal network called Wizard Spider, a kind of digital matryoshka of hacker groups. Its senior management has ties with Russian Intelligence Services and other notorious cybercriminals working for the Kremlin.

Tips?

Send them to ron.broeders@proton.me