Belgium’s foreign ministry finally has full Internet access across all platforms, after it was the victim of repeat cyber-attack in May, a spokesman for the foreign ministry said Thursday.
The attack wasn’t completely debilitating. The internal system functioned normally throughout, and systems to handle passports and visas were quickly restored, spokesman Henrik van de Velde said Thursday.
Internet access was restored in June – and in the last few days mobile network access was switched back on, so now Belgian civil servants can access their emails via smartphone. The system has not been changed for users, but better protected, Mr. van de Velde added.
It is not clear who was behind the attacks. Local newspaper De Tijd said Russian hackers were responsible, using malicious software known as “Snake” or Uroburos.
“That information is on a need-to-know basis internally,” said Mr. Van de Velde, “and I don’t need to know, so I don’t know if we know who was behind it.”
Belgium hasn’t had a good run on cybersecurity.
Last year, Prime Minister Elio di Rupo’s cabinet office was attacked by a virus sending information to China, and prior to that, hackers sent a CD of his personal emails to a national newspaper.
Belgacom , the country’s biggest telecoms operator, has also been hacked – reportedly by British spy agency GCHQ. The company is currently advertising for a “Cyber Security Incident Analyst.”
Link: WSJ
Link: WSJ
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