The department “found it few days ago, with the help of military intelligence, a sophisticated virus was introduced into its computer system to steal information and documents related to the Ukrainian crisis,” Chief Diplomat, Belgium, Didier Reynders said in a statement. An investigation was initiated to analyze “the extent of the damage and the identity of the intruder,” said Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo.
Belgian media like L’Echo and De Tijd reported, who revealed the information, said the attack was conducted last weekend by Russia in the context of the Ukrainian crisis. Di Rupo said that a complaint had been filed with the federal prosecutor to investigate into the hacking.
This is not the first time when Belgium’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have suffered a data breach. In September 2013, information regarding Belgium’s foreign policies was stolen by hackers.
Authorities have decided to invest ten million euros ($13 million) to strengthen computer security institutions in Belgium following the latest series of Cyber attacks.
