# DigiD and MijnOverheid go offline for hours over PHP flaws

> Many websites, including the government login DigiD and the MijnOverheid portal, were unreachable for hours on Wednesday after two serious vulnerabilities were found in the PHP programming language.

Society · published 2026-10-25 14:02 · https://nlnow.nl/a/php-security-flaw-takes-digid-and-mijnoverheid-offline-for-hours/

Two serious vulnerabilities were found in PHP, a programming language that runs behind the scenes of many websites. On Wednesday many sites took themselves offline for hours as a precaution. DigiD, the login used for government services, and MijnOverheid, the government's personal portal, were also unreachable for hours.

PHP is the software that lets visitors log in to a website, place an order or look up information, though most users never notice it.

Vaisha Bernard, chief hacker at the cybersecurity firm Eye Security, says a small error crept into PHP about twenty years ago. "It was such a small mistake that it had not been discovered until now." He says AI makes finding such flaws faster and easier: about 20,000 have been discovered in 2026 so far. Attackers have also become more professional, he says: "Twenty years ago they were amateurs, now they are almost companies."

Matthijs van Amelsfort, director of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), says AI speeds up cyberattacks and shortens the time available to close a hole. Both he and Bernard expect such incidents to happen more often. "Society is becoming even more digital, and with that the chance of a disruption grows," Van Amelsfort says.

Van Amelsfort urges companies to get their cybersecurity in order and to agree arrangements with their IT supplier beforehand. "If this happens in the middle of the night, who can you call and who does what?" he says.

## Background

- **DigiD**: DigiD is the Dutch government's personal online login system, used to prove who you are when you access government and public services. You sign in with a username, a password and a second confirmation, such as a code from the DigiD app or by SMS. It is used for matters like tax, healthcare and municipal services.
- **MijnOverheid**: MijnOverheid is the Dutch government's personal online portal, where residents can view official letters, messages and information from various government organisations in one place. You log in with DigiD to access it. It is the central online page many people use to manage contact with the government.

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