Bild lashes out at Bijleveld | Inland

The spectacular story is even a reason for the newspaper to introduce Bijleveld to the German-speaking readership with a profile under the heading: ‘Das ist Europas leichtsinnigste Ministerin’. Although the play acknowledges that the mistake was made by officials of her ministry, the “stupid and embarrassing mistake” is personally blamed on her.

Bild is extra surprised because Bijleveld is ‘regarded as an expert in the field of cyber security’. As an example, a recent lecture in which the German Defense Minister was present is cited.

The journalist from RTL Nieuws was able to break in due to a blunder of the ministry. A photo of the meeting between Bijleveld and her European colleagues was posted on her Twitter timeline. The officer forgot to delete the login address and part of the access code.

As a result, tech journalist Daniël Verlaan of RTL News managed to penetrate the meeting. Verlaan’s voice also conveys surprise on a released audio recording. “Yes, sorry, I am a journalist from the Netherlands,” Verlaan says laughing when High Representative Josep Borell asks him whether he is aware of the fact that he is participating in a secret meeting of the Council for Foreign Affairs. “Sorry, I will leave this conversation now.”

Media across Europe feast on the bizarre story. Prime Minister Mark Rutte emphasized during his weekly press conference after the Council of Ministers on Friday that the miss illustrates the importance of digital security. That is the “by-catch of her mistake,” said the prime minister. “That we can now again point out the importance of cyber security.

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