What happened?
On May 4 and 5, 2021, Belnet, the Internet provider for the Belgian government, universities and research centers, was the target of a massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. This attack disrupted access to more than 200 websites and systems, including those of the Belgian government, parliament, universities and research institutions. The attack flooded the networks with a huge amount of data, rendering online services unavailable.
How did it happen?
The DDoS attack was of unprecedented magnitude and saturated the entire Belnet network. This method of attack works by flooding a system with meaningless data requests, resulting in rendering the targeted networks unusable. What made the attack extra difficult to neutralize was that the attackers constantly changed tactics, complicating the response.
What was the impact for the company?
The attack had significant consequences for numerous organizations that depend on the Belnet network. Parliamentary sessions had to be postponed, online services of police departments and municipal websites such as that of Brussels were down, and several universities were unable to offer distance learning. This led to disruptions in the daily operations of educational institutions, government services and healthcare.
How could this have been prevented?
Although Belnet itself stressed that no data was stolen during the attack, the impact of a DDoS attack can be significantly reduced by:
- Cloud-based DDoS mitigation: Deploying advanced DDoS protection services can help detect and repel these attacks faster.
- Network segmentation: Separating critical systems from other parts of the network can limit damage.
- Incident Response: Rapid and coordinated response is critical to prevent further damage and disruption.
This incident highlights the need for robust security measures to effectively combat such large-scale attacks.