Alumnus Erik Akerboom (59) has been Director-General of AIVD (General Intelligence and Security Service) for the past year. With VU Magazine he reflects on his first year, the Chinese cyber threat and the arrest of Ridouan Taghi.
Why did you choose to study political science at VU Amsterdam?
„I was quite certain after completing my police academy training that I’d stay being in the police, but still wanted the freedom to do something else at some point. Together with a friend at the police academy, I decided to follow the evening study programme. As a young policeman in Utrecht I had a tough job during the day and needed to study in the evenings. This customized approach was ideal because what I saw during the day, I read about in books at night. Studying wasn’t easy under those circumstances though and occasionally I’d still not taken the book out of its plastic by the final lecture before the exam."
You also worked for AIVD from 1998 to 2003. What did it feel like to be back?
„AIVD was traditionally an organization in which both technology and human sources were dominant. You needed to have human sources in different areas who could warn you of any troubling developments. The world of technology has now really developed and the cyber world is increasingly important. Criminality is switching to the digital world. Intelligence work too. Espionage is much more intensive. That also means that the service needs to use a lot of technological applications to handle the risks and threats to national security."
„In my office there are pots on the table in which I place my telephone before I speak with a colleague."
When you were appointed you said in an article in de Volkskrant newspaper ‘Now I’m going to AIVD. Do you know what that means for my family?’ How has your life has changed?
„As Director-General, you’re really closely involved in the operations as well as being an administrator, and that’s different from what I’m used to. It means that I have access to information I can’t talk about at home. That can be difficult sometimes. My loved ones and I were also subject to intensive security checks and I’m not entirely free to travel. So it does come with a lot of restrictions. But it’s not too dramatic."
What aspects took the most getting used to?
„As Chief of the National Police, the job I had before this one, I was very much involved in social media and the news. On my first day at the security service, the first thing I had to do was leave my phone in the car. I was given a telephone that could only be used for calls and sending texts. When I looked at the screen it felt like a huge inconvenience. In my office there are pots on the table in which I place my telephone before I speak with a colleague. There are also things everywhere that look like wine coolers that produce white noise to make wiretapping difficult. We’re always on high alert here. It takes a bit of getting used to because as a policeman you share everything whereas here it virtually all takes place behind closed doors."
„If you have a big success, you want to shout it from the rooftops but here we tend to celebrate with almond cake."
Why is so little communicated about operations?
„The holy grail for the security service is the source. This must be kept secret. We also want to keep what we’re doing secret for as long as possible. The adage is: open where possible, closed where necessary. It does sometimes feel unnatural. If you have a big success, you want to shout it from the rooftops but here we tend to celebrate with almond cake. And then we just carry on."
Why did you recently decide to sound the alarm about the Chinese and Russian cyber threats in the Netherlands?
„We catch hackers from both China and Russia every day who are hacking into company and educational institution computers. They’re also targeting vital infrastructure, such as the drinking water supply, banks, telecoms and energy grids. In this case, it is extremely important that we say where the threat comes from, as this also increases society’s alertness and resilience."
In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge to keeping the Netherlands safe?
„I still think that terrorism is the biggest challenge as it has remained a constant threat in recent years. You need to be continuously alert to ensure that terrorists can’t take control of our society. Although not many people die each year from a terrorist attack, the effects of fear and the disruptive influence on society is extremely high. On the other hand, the strongest growing threat is from foreign state actors. As a society and as a company you are incredibly vulnerable. Our society’s business model is based on high-quality technology and innovation. If you want to retain that level, you need to really protect it."
„We saw all kinds of attempts to steal medical technology from companies in Europe."
Have these threats changed because of COVID-19?
„A major crisis such as the current one means that countries and governments are immediately seeking solutions for the crisis. We saw all kinds of attempts to steal medical technology from companies in Europe. Moreover, more people are working from home. Many company employees send sensitive information over public networks. This can have huge consequences."
Do you think that cyber-related threats have sunk in yet among Dutch politicians?
„We need a very broad approach to utilize the advantages of the cyberworld while simultaneously achieving security. Much more is needed than is happening now. This also applies to governments, medical organizations and universities. It is essential that we pull together on this across the board. The new cabinet can give a considerable boost to this."
Have you noticed an increase in extremist right wing groups, like in America? And how real is that threat?
„Twenty years ago, right-wing extremism wasn’t a thing in the Netherlands. Now you see that the population has changed: high educational levels, a different type of behaviour and young people who are sometimes really verbally extreme. We also see that the QAnon ideas and similar groups are also gaining popularity in the Netherlands. It’s still mainly verbal, but we remain alert for this becoming more extreme and violent."
„You learn best when you ask yourself: what am I doing here exactly and why would someone listen to me?"
Why did you leave your job as Chief of the National Police last year?
„I have never intended to stay too long in one working environment. At a certain point you’ve learned all you can. You learn best when you ask yourself: what am I doing here exactly and why would someone listen to me? In my previous job as Chief of Police I’d intended to stay no more than five years. As Chief of Police you’re busy 24 hours a day and you need to be careful that you don’t burn out too quickly. After over four years AIVD came up and I thought it was time to start somewhere new."
Were there any high points in that former job?
„The highest and lowest points came together in the murder of Derk Wiersum. The murder had a huge impact in the Netherlands. It was an attack on the rule of law, and the suspect, Ridouan Taghi, appeared to be untraceable. The high point was when I was called in the morning by the Chief of Dubai Police with the message that he’d been caught. I sat straight up in bed and had goosebumps everywhere. I thought: this is giving a clear message that criminals, however much money they have, are never untouchable."
And did you celebrate that with almond cake too?
Akerboom smiled: „Yes, we did. Later in the morning I drove to the office in Amsterdam and the almond cakes were there, waiting. We had an intense celebration together and then just carried on with our work."
