Cyber Incident Victim: Gazet van Antwerpen
Date:
Oct 2016
Location:
Belgium
Summary
A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack targeted multiple Belgian media outlets, including Gazet van Antwerpen, disrupting website availability with extended downtime and severely degraded performance for affected platforms. The Syrian Cyber Army claimed responsibility, alleging the media failed to report Belgian military involvement in airstrikes near Aleppo that reportedly caused civilian casualties. Attackers publicized their claims via the group's homepage, while one outlet accused Russian backing and cited Turkish infrastructure used in the assaults. Belgian authorities initiated an investigation into the incidents and suggested potential links between the perpetrators and the Syrian Electronic Army group.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On October 24, 2016, the Syrian Cyber Army (SCA) executed distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against multiple Belgian media organizations, including Gazet van Antwerpen, De Standaard, Het Nieuwsblad, Het Belang van Limburg, and RTFB. The group publicly claimed responsibility through a message posted on its homepage, distinguishing itself from the similarly named Syrian Electronic Army. The attacks caused significant operational disruptions, with most targeted websites experiencing prolonged downtime, while others suffered severe performance degradation, rendering them extremely slow to access. De Standaard and Het Nieuwsblad confirmed the attacks impacted their digital infrastructure. The SCA justified its actions by alleging the Belgian media outlets had deliberately omitted reporting that two Belgian F-16 military jets participated in an October 18 air strike near Aleppo, specifically targeting the town of Hassadjek. The group cited a Russian military report claiming the pre-dawn strike destroyed two residential structures, resulted in six fatalities, and injured four civilians.
Belgian authorities initiated an investigation into the attacks, with law enforcement asserting operational links between the SCA and the more established Syrian Electronic Army. Het Nieuwsblad published additional allegations, accusing Russia of providing financial support to the SCA and identifying Turkey as the geographic origin of the servers used to orchestrate the DDoS campaign. The media outlets affected by the attacks did not disclose specific technical details regarding their mitigation efforts or the duration of service interruptions beyond confirming the occurrence and operational consequences. No further public statements from the SCA regarding this incident were documented in the immediate aftermath, and Belgian investigative outcomes remained undisclosed at the time of reporting.