Damage to the city of Antwerp due to cyber attack is great (Antwerp)
It seems that a criminal network is behind the cyber attack on the information system of the city of Antwerp. The damage within the functioning of the city administration and the police is great. It will probably take until the end of this month for everything to be resolved. There is always a lot of disruption in urban services.
Sacha van Wiele
READ ALSO. Consequences of a cyber attack on the services of the city of Antwerp
The city of Antwerp was the victim of a cyber attack in the night from Monday to Tuesday. Malware malicious software attacked the applications in Windows. The city of Antwerp has already had a heavy loss in cyber security in recent years. No data and files of Antwerp residents have been stolen at the moment. At this point, there was no demand for his ransom in exchange for the key to restore the entire system.
Coincidentally, Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA) spoke two weeks ago at his council committee about the security of the information technology at the city of Antwerp. The city is taking over a chief digital office (CDO).
“He scans the organization for digital opportunities and weaknesses,” said De Wever. “I receive a report every week and that is tough reading. You learn a lot about cyber security and especially the lack of cyber security.”
These were prophetic words, because two weeks later the city fell victim to a serious cyber attack.
Services
Meanwhile, the consequences of this attack are felt in the service sector. For example, making arrangements for a visit to the recycling park and the swimming pool is not possible. Museum tickets cannot be purchased digitally.
Applying for parking bans and party tents at the municipal lending service is also temporarily excluded. A number of documents can still be requested and collected at the city counters, such as travel passes and driver’s license. For aregistration of birth, acknowledgment, marriage and death can still be done at the city counters. What is currently not possible are nnationality applications, parking permits and current migration files. Charging the sorting pass for the sorting streets is also temporarily not possible.
Payments
There would also be problems with the payments of the living wage at the OCMW of Antwerp. Antwerp alderman of social affairs Tom Meeuws (Vooruit) probably believes that everything is done to ensure that people are entitled to.
“The OCMW is working hard on a solution that will allow people to receive money to which they are entitled and will still receive it through the bank or in cash,” says Meeuws. “It is true that the normal route is currently not possible. Living wages are paid at the end of the month and hopefully the biggest problems caused by this attack will have been solved by then.
Within the city administration, in the following days, a list of guaranteed to be restored as soon as possible. That should be resolved by the weekend.