The National Crisis Center sees cyber attacks as one of the most real threats to our country. Disinformation and fake news can also have damaging effects.
The National Crisis Center has published its latest risk analysis, weighing the greatest risks facing our country. Every three years, that analysis is prepared. The tenor sounds rather ominous, as the Crisis Center says the overall level of risk has increased from three years ago.
Likely risk of cyber attacks
The Crisis Center is particularly concerned about geopolitical tensions on a global scale that Belgium is indirectly dragged into. The fear of war is fortunately still small, but Belgium is feeling the impact of tensions with Russia and in the Middle East in the form of cyber attacks. Indeed, the risk of cyber attacks, espionage and other forms of sabotage is “very likely.
This does not sound like an empty warning. Recently, in the wake of municipal elections, some local governments fell prey to Russian hackers. Belgium is even in the top ten most affected countries worldwide by ransomware. The Crisis Center warns that this is not going to diminish.
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National Crisis Center warns of ‘disruptive’ cyber attacks
Disruptive impact
Cyber attacks can have a “disruptive impact,” according to the Crisis Center. That is especially true when hackers target critical infrastructure such as hospitals or power grids. The Crisis Center does not immediately see an attack on a nuclear power plant or chemical site happening, but it could have very significant consequences.
Attacks that shut down government administration also do great damage, as does the leakage of sensitive technological, financial or medical information. Finally, the spread of disinformation is cited as a major risk, as false information can cause division in society.
Since the NIS legislation, critical infrastructure organizations have been required to protect themselves from cyber attacks and report on them regularly to the government. They are also subject to external evaluations. Successor NIS2 extends these obligations to more sectors. The law has been in force since Oct. 18: Belgium is one of the only European countries that managed to transpose the European directives into national legislation in time.