Cyber Incident Victim: Dutch women's handball team
Date:
Jan 2015
Location:
Netherlands
Summary
Nude footage of the Dutch women's handball team was leaked online after criminals hacked surveillance cameras in a sauna's dressing room, capturing seven players undressing and partially nude with recognizable faces. The hackers attempted extortion by threatening to release the material unless the cameras were removed, which the owner promptly did, but the videos still surfaced publicly months later. The incident led to privacy violations and non-consensual distribution of intimate content, though the footage reportedly did not spread beyond initial platforms. Following the breach, regulatory changes banned security cameras in changing rooms to prevent similar occurrences.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
In December 2017, two videos depicting seven members of the Dutch women's handball team undressing and nude in the changing room of Sauna Oase in Nederasselt were uploaded to a popular pornography website, remaining accessible for several hours. The footage originated from a 2015 compromise of the sauna's surveillance camera system, though the perpetrators delayed public release until late 2017. Attackers initially contacted sauna owner Erik van Ingen Schenau via email after the breach, sending a still image from the compromised camera feed accompanied by a 14-day ultimatum demanding camera removal to prevent public dissemination. Van Ingen Schenau immediately deactivated and physically removed all surveillance cameras upon receiving this threat. Despite compliance, the hackers proceeded to release two videos—one lasting two minutes and the other three minutes—in which most players' faces were clearly visible and some were fully exposed. The videos exclusively featured the handball team members preparing for sauna use, with no evidence of broader distribution beyond the initial pornographic platform according to available reports.
The unauthorized disclosure directly impacted the privacy of all seven identifiable athletes, exposing intimate moments without consent. Sauna Oase faced reputational damage despite implementing corrective measures years prior to the leak. Pieter Bunt, spokesperson for the Dutch sauna and wellness industry association, cited a government ban on security cameras in changing rooms implemented two years before the incident as a preventive measure against recurrence. No technical details regarding the 2015 camera hack methodology, perpetrator identification, or law enforcement actions were disclosed in available records. The delayed public release suggested potential secondary distribution among threat actors after the initial compromise, though the sauna owner speculated a collaborator might have independently published the footage despite the cameras' removal. Industry representatives emphasized regulatory changes had eliminated surveillance risks in sensitive areas by the time of the leak.