The security and counter-terrorism chief is urging residents in the Netherlands to prepare ahead for serious problems in the event of extended power cuts, as the likelihood of such occurrences is increasing.

We need to be better prepared for blackouts, warns Pieter-Jaap Aalbersberg, Dutch counter-terrorism coordinator. Aalbersberg was speaking after the global tech outage on 19 July, which caused serious disruptions around the world in hospitals, airports, public transport and many other sectors, Brussels Signal news portal points points out.

In an increasingly digital and tech-dominated world, such outages could have even more disastrous consequences,

the expert noted. Speaking to the Dutch public broadcaster NOS, he said that such technical problems could render drinking water and sewage networks, electricity supply and payment services, among others, inoperable, and urged the Dutch population to be prepared for such situations.

„Imagine all power goes out and it’s pitch black, what do you do then? Do you have an emergency kit with candles, water, batteries, and cash? These precautions ensure that you’re more resilient,”

Aalbersberg said, adding that everyone should think about what they depend on and „check if you would be in trouble if you couldn’t leave the house or go shopping for a while,” he told the Dutch population.

The National Coordinator for Security and Counter Terrorism (NCTV) advised people to seriously consider possible tech blackouts so that, for example, they would be aware of who might need care, or neighbours who could need extra support in case of such a crisis.

The body stated that while the Netherlands as a country has invested heavily in protecting its digital systems, it should also focus on contingency plans in case of an emergency.

„The threat is increasing, especially with all the current conflicts, and attacks on digital systems are becoming more real. Last week’s outage was a wake-up call – we truly need to become more resilient,” their statement reads. “This doesn’t mean preventing incidents altogether, but rather ensuring that society can continue to function when they occur.”

Red Cross spokeswoman Nicole van Batenburg had a similar message for the Dutch population. “We tend to think they [blackouts] are not our problem, but last week proved otherwise.” She told NOS it was relatively easy to prepare properly for such a disruption. “Write down phone numbers, make copies of your important documents and, of course, make sure you have that emergency kit and enough water. In a flood, for example, drinking water gets contaminated,” van Batenburg said.