Five Belgian hospitals affected by data breach

"Security company Secutec has discovered that at least five Belgian hospitals have been victims of a data breach at a supplier of patient registration software. A total of 71,000 personal and login details of patients and healthcare providers were found on the darknet. But that's not all: a second breach at an IT supplier affected another 1,000 login details of commercial and government organizations."

"Geert Baudewijns, CEO of Secutec, questions the perception that the healthcare sector does too little in terms of cybersecurity. According to a study by the FPS Public Health, three out of four Belgian hospitals are not sufficiently mature to comply with NIS2. "The healthcare sector is often quick to be blamed," he responds. "In reality, cybersecurity in Belgian hospitals is of the highest level, with the necessary security systems in place.""

"According to Baudewijns, the real problem lies elsewhere. Hospitals and other organizations often rely on online applications from external suppliers. These suppliers can be hacked or negligent, posing a potential cyber threat. The European NIS2 cybersecurity directive, which has been in force in Belgium since October 2024, therefore requires third-party control audits. "Some hospitals in our country could do better in this area," says Baudewijns."

Secutec discovered that at least five Belgian hospitals were victims of a data breach at a supplier of patient registration software, exposing 71,000 personal and login details on the darknet. A separate breach at an IT supplier affected another 1,000 login credentials from commercial and government organizations. The darknet investigation began after a cyberattack on AZ Monica in Antwerp and identified four additional affected healthcare institutions using the same patient registration software. Geert Baudewijns states that the principal cyber risk stems from third-party suppliers and that the NIS2 directive, effective in Belgium since October 2024, mandates third-party control audits. Some hospitals require improved supplier monitoring.

Read at Techzine Global