A cyberattack hit the digital systems of the municipality of Machelen on September 11. It now appears that personal data has also been stolen.
The municipality of Machelen has fallen victim to a cyberattack. This caused problems with the local administration’s digital systems for several days. As a result, several services were not operational. “We are currently investigating what is happening, what has been damaged, and whether any personal data has been leaked. At first glance, that does not appear to be the case,” Mayor Jean-Pierre De Groef told VRT nws at the time. Now, that appears to be incorrect. The exact amount and nature of the personal data involved is currently being investigated.
Personal data
According to the mayor, the attackers were able to infiltrate the IT systems of the municipality of Machelen via phishing. Machelen’s IT department is working with external IT experts to map the cyberattack and restore the systems.
Initially, no personal data was stolen. New information shows that this is no longer the case. “We can confirm that personal data has been leaked. The investigation into the scope and nature of the data leak is still ongoing. We are currently investigating which data and which individuals are actually involved,” according to the Machelen website.
Limited availability
During the days following the attack, the systems were shut down. “We decided to shut down all services that operate via the affected server. Our website remains functional and the e-counter can also be used, as those operate via other services. The nursing home and the municipal nursery can also work digitally. We are keeping all residents informed via our website and the municipal Facebook page,” said De Groef.
In the meantime, the biggest problems have been resolved. Residents of Machelen do not need to worry, but should remain vigilant for suspicious emails.
This article originally appeared on Monday, September 14, and was updated on Wednesday, September 23, with the latest information.