Tax authority of Curaçao expects to be back in business today after ransomware attack

The tax authority of Curaçao will be fully operational on Monday, August 4th, 2025, after suffering a ransomware attack.

On Thursday, July 24th, the tax authority of Curaçao discovered that it had become the victim of a ransomware attack.

Details about the attack, such as how it was carried out, what systems were affected, whether any data was stolen, and which ransomware group is responsible, have not been disclosed.

Because of the incident, numerous tax authority services, including customer service and the Department of Motor Vehicles, were partially at a standstill. The agency predicted that it would take several days to fully recover.

The tax authority expects to be fully operational later today.

“The tax authority expects that as of next Monday, August 4th, customer service, counter services, the call center, and internal processes will be available to the public again. However, this is subject to possible technical setbacks that may occur over the weekend or during the restart,” the agency said in a statement.

According to Dutch news outlet NOS, several key institutions were hit by a ransomware attack last week.

A virus was detected in the Court of Justice's IT system. For security reasons, the network was taken offline. Several court cases scheduled for hearing last week were postponed, but most cases have continued. Security specialists are still trying to restore the affected systems.

The official email accounts of several Members of Parliament in Aruba were also hacked. Due to the incidents on the Caribbean islands, authorities on St. Maarten have warned companies and agencies to be vigilant of the growing threat of ransomware attacks across the region.

“Given the increasing sophistication of these attacks and the significant operational and financial risks involved, it is imperative that businesses in Sint Maarten adopt a proactive and strategic approach to cybersecurity. Strengthening cyber defenses is no longer optional – it is essential to ensure business continuity and safeguard critical data and systems,” Judianne Labega-Hoeve, Interim Director of the Bureau Telecommunications and Post St. Maarten (BTP), said in a response to the recent ransomware attacks.