Russian hackers shut down major Belgian websites

State-sponsored hackers from Russia have attacked several leading Belgian websites, including MyGov.be and the websites of the Walloon parliament and Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

According to the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB), these institutions were struck by a DDoS attack.

During a DDoS attack, a threat actor aims to overwhelm a website, server, or network with a flood of fake internet traffic. Sooner or later, the website will be overloaded and will no longer respond. Internet traffic will then become extremely slow or even stop altogether.

The CCB has been aware of the attacks since Monday morning and has been constantly monitoring the situation. All targeted organizations, including the Belgian national government and the Walloon parliament, have been alerted, a spokesperson told Belgian news outlet VRT NWS. On Monday afternoon, the websites were back online.

The attacks have been carried out by NoName057(16), a group of hacktivist cybersecurity experts believed to be sponsored by Russia. Their targets appear to be countries and organizations with an anti-Russian stance. That also seems to be the case with the recent attacks.

In a message on Telegram, NoName057(16) states that the DDoS attacks are an act of retaliation for offering €1 billion in military support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by Secretary of Defense Theo Francken (N-VA).

“Zelensky accepted the offer and highlighted several initiatives currently being reviewed by the Belgian government. Francken noted that Belgium could increase its support, but the final decision rests with the government,” the message on Telegram says.

This isn’t the first time NoName057(16) has targeted federal government services in Belgium. In October 2023, the hackers disrupted the website of the Chancellery of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, the Senate, and the Royal Palace after De Croo promised to deliver F16 fighter jets to Ukraine in 2025.

A few months earlier, the Russian hackers targeted several port companies in the Netherlands and took down the website of Maastricht Aachen Airport. In March 2024, NoName057(16) claimed responsibility for taking down the websites of the Dutch provinces of Noord-Holland, Groningen, and Noord-Brabant.

Ariadne Petridis, Permanent Representative of Belgium to NATO, recently said that Belgium should prepare itself for Russian cyberattacks.

“Belgium’s geographical location and the presence of international headquarters, such as NATO and other European institutions, make it a potential target for Russia. Our country is centrally located between several superpowers. That makes us particularly vulnerable,” she said to Belgian news outlet Het Laatste Nieuws.