Under the rubric of "foresight for peace and security," the MIVD ensures that Defense gets the information it needs to protect our country.
That knowledge is our strength. Not infrequently, it is literally vital to our military. MIVD intelligence also makes an indispensable contribution to our pursuit of an information-driven armed force, one of the spearheads of the 2018 Defense Policy Memorandum. They are also crucial to Dutch security policy and national security. So the MIVD plays an important role in protecting what we hold dear: our security, freedom and prosperity.
We must not be naive about increasing insecurity. The Netherlands needs good intelligence more than ever. The cyber operation by Russian military intelligence (GRU) that was foiled in 2018 was illustrative of the changing security environment. By exposing it, we sent a clear message: we will not tolerate this in our country. Cooperation with our partners, both nationally and internationally, was key in this effort.
For the MIVD, the year 2018 was also marked by the implementation of the Intelligence and Security Services Act 2017 (Wiv2017). A complex law that had more impact on the MIVD than was recognized at the time of its creation. In the meantime, the service's work, including mission support, continues as usual. As does the recognition of information and cyber operations.
In this annual report you can read what were the main areas of focus in 2018 and how the MIVD fulfilled its duties.
source: MIVD
