Check Point sees an increase in the number of cyberattacks in Belgium in 2025. Software suppliers, healthcare, and financial institutions are particularly affected.
The number of cyberattacks on Belgian organizations increased by 29 percent in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year. This is according to a report by Check Point. On average, Belgian organizations were attacked 1,925 times per week. Globally, there was an increase of 47 percent.
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Software suppliers remain the most popular target in Belgium. They faced an average of 2,868 attacks per week. The healthcare and financial sectors follow with 2,777 and 2,388 attacks per week respectively.
Attacks from Outside
According to the report, cybercriminals are increasingly using foreign infrastructure to approach Belgian networks. 44 percent of the attacks reportedly originate from servers in the United States. 12 percent come from Belgian servers and ten percent from the Netherlands.
This infrastructure often serves as a transit point to mask the actual origin of the attack, Check Point clarifies. This way, attackers bypass regional security measures such as geoblocking. Recently, several Belgian government services faced attacks by (presumably) Russian hackers.
Compared to neighboring countries, Belgium remains below the global average. The Netherlands experienced an increase of 53 percent, France even 97 percent. Luxembourg also recorded a strong increase of 76 percent.
Malware and Phishing on the Rise
Information leaks are the most common occurrence in Belgium, accounting for 69 percent of all detected vulnerabilities. Of all malware, 54 percent was spread via the web, the remaining 46 percent via email. Phishing also remains a popular attack method. Microsoft was the most frequently imitated in phishing attempts, with Google and Apple completing the top three.
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Globally, ransomware remains one of the fastest-growing threats. There were 126 percent more incidents than in the first quarter of 2024, with North America being the largest victim region. Europe accounted for 21 percent of reported ransomware cases. Companies in the consumer goods, business services, and industrial production sectors were particularly targeted.
Check Point emphasizes that companies need to invest more in training, detection systems, and incident response to arm themselves against the increased threat. The introduction of guidelines such as NIS2 and DORA provides a framework for enhanced digital resilience.