Rian van Rijbroek

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"Cybersecurity-expert"
Person.png Rian van RijbroekRdf-entity.pngRdf-icon.png
RianvanRijbroek profile.jpg
Born1971
NationalityDutch
InterestsCyber security
Interest ofNieuwsuur
A mysterious woman who most famously appeared live in January 2018 on Dutch state TV claiming of being a hacker and having seen Russian, Iranian and North-Korean code present in the increasing amount of Denial-of-service attacks on Dutch banks and institutions. Her nearly empty résumé and accusations raised questions by dozens of security-experts.

Rian van Rijbroek is presented as a cyber security expert and a hacker working for an intelligence agency and multiple governments.[1][2] She suddenly started appearing in Dutch media for the promotion of her book Cybersecurity and Cybercrime early 2018 which she made along with former State Secretary for Finance and Minister of Social Affairs Willem Vermeend. Her unsourced claims blaming hacker-groups from Russia, Iran and North Korea along with very remarkable solutions regarding cybercrime caused nationwide outrage with security experts.

Background

Van Rijbroek has registered multiple companies in the Dutch chamber of commerce starting from 2004, under several aliases. Her 1st known company MaMoMo (short for MakeMoreMoney) was listed as specialized in 'asset management'.[3] Further research by internet and IT-blogger Marcel van den Berg up until the end of January 2018 mostly found co-owned, non-promoted companies with Willem Vermeend and a Zoominfo database listing Van Rijbroek working for the London office of Swedish cybersecurity company Cognosec (subsidiary of the better known UC Group[4]), something denied by another subsidiary of Cognosec at the London office (as the London office of Cognosec didn't answer calls).[5]

Interviews in BNR Newsradio and De Telegraaf presented her working for 30 years as professional hacker under numerous covers, one being modelling[6][7] Van Rijbroek is seen in two videos apparently recorded for the "Versace fashion show 2012" in Dubai (a city where Cognosec has an office located).[8]


Nieuwsuur appearance

She appeared live on Dutch current affairs program Nieuwsuur on the 25th of January in a very peculiar 5 minute segment regarding the latest Denial-of-service attack on Dutch banks. Van Rijbroek reported of codes present from Russia, Iran and North Korea in the attacks on Dutch banks, government institutions and other sites. Citing an "intelligence agency that shared those details with her today", she proclaimed these groups to be testing the security-systems before letting "ATMs spit money as seen in the US" (a technique known as Jackpotting, which she didn't mention and although known in the US, but requiring physical proximity to the ATM and not a denial-of-service attack).[9] As solution she ironically proposed a switch to 'blockchain' (a central mechanism in all cryptocurrencies) and the use of external networks for citizens (also known as VPNs) when online banking and stop using mobile banking applications altogether.[10]

Following many cybersecurity-experts voicing their frustration about the segment, the NOS released a statement 1 week later in which all her statements were invalidated by IT-professionals while apologizing for "causing confusion with the speculations van Rijbroek made"[11][12], with the Assistant-Editor remarking "she told different things instead of what was rehearsed with her".[13] An 18 year old was arrested and charged for the attacks on the 1st of February.[14].

The book (claiming among other things Edward Snowden was suspected leading the Shadow Brokers) was pulled from the shelves after numerous instances of plagiarism were discovered.[15][16][17] Vermeend and van Rijbroek were revealed to be notable around January 2018 for their appearance at a few tech-conventions with "low-quality lectures", getting banned on one after one day. The Chamber of Commence started promoting their book around the same time, before removing all references after the Nieuwsuur appearance.[18] Van Rijbroek has disappeared from the media since March 2018.

Unanswered questions

These 3 questions remain unanswered.

  1. Why exactly was she allowed to appear on state television without anyone fact-checking her book when it was already 1 month on the market?
  2. Why didn't a former Minister and State Secretary ran a background check on someone with these accusations but instead introduced her multiple times as a former NSA officer?
  3. What is the real occupation of Rian van Rijbroek?

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References

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8D0bv17Ies
  2. https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1623998/welkom-in-de-wondere-wereld-van-hacker-rian-van-rijbroek
  3. https://www.opencompanies.nl/overig-mamomo-allround-solution-bv-veghel-17161846
  4. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/12/22/dutch_probe_uk_tech_investment/
  5. https://feitoffake.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/nieuwsuur-liet-nep-cybersecurityspecialist-uitleg-geven-over-ddos-aanvallen-nederlandse-banken/
  6. .https://www.bnr.nl/podcast/de-technoloog/10338191/smart-blockchain-de-oplossing-voor-cybercrime
  7. https://www.telegraaf.nl/nieuws/1623998/welkom-in-de-wondere-wereld-van-hacker-rian-van-rijbroek
  8. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0Y_-aOUam-1KhaMxTi_6Jg
  9. https://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/01/first-jackpotting-attacks-hit-u-s-atms/
  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8D0bv17Ies
  11. https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2214745-deskundigen-over-nieuwsuur-uitzending-ddos-aanval.html
  12. http://www.mediacourant.nl/2018/02/kenners-lezen-boek-nos-rian-complete-verbijstering/
  13. https://www.villamedia.nl/artikel/verbazing-over-gewiste-clip-cyber-expert-in-nieuwsuur
  14. https://www.volkskrant.nl/tech/in-gesprek-met-jelle-s-18-die-met-ddos-aanvallen-de-belastingdienst-en-banken-zou-hebben-platgelegd~a4567183/
  15. https://www.itwire.com/strategy/83187-kaspersky-lab-sues-dutch-paper-over-hacking-claims.html
  16. https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2214898-cybersecurity-boek-oud-minister-vermeend-uit-de-schappen.html
  17. https://www.ftm.nl/artikelen/willem-vermeend-van-staatsman-tot-charlatan?share=1
  18. https://twitter.com/danielverlaan/status/959002535901237248


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