Cyber Incident Victim: Stadsdiensten van Deinze
Date:
Apr 2024
Location:
Belgium
Summary
The Stadsdiensten van Deinze experienced a cyberattack involving unauthorized access to an employee’s email account, which attackers used to send fraudulent messages with malicious file links to approximately 300 recipients. The incident was rapidly detected and mitigated within an hour, with the compromised account blocked and all affected contacts alerted to prevent further harm. Officials confirmed no breach of backend systems, servers, or sensitive databases occurred, attributing the compromise to human error despite existing protections including multifactor authentication, anti-spam filters, and antivirus software. The IT department is reviewing additional security enhancements in response to the event.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On April 24, 2024, the municipal services of Deinze experienced a cyberattack when unauthorized individuals compromised a city employee’s email account. The attackers used this access to send fraudulent emails impersonating the employee to approximately 300 recipients, instructing them to open a file via a malicious link. The incident was detected rapidly by the city’s IT services, with additional reporting by municipal council member Bart Vermaercke (N-VA), enabling swift containment. Within one hour of detection, the compromised account was fully blocked, halting further dissemination of malicious emails. The city’s IT department head contacted all affected recipients to warn them about the fraudulent messages. Authorities confirmed the attack was limited to the compromised email account, with no evidence of unauthorized access to backend systems such as servers or databases containing sensitive data.
The city’s existing security measures—including anti-spam filters, antivirus software, and mandatory multifactor authentication for all employees—prevented broader system infiltration. Burgemeester Jan Vermeulen (CD&V) attributed the breach to human error but emphasized the IT department was reviewing options to strengthen security protocols further. No data loss or operational disruptions to municipal services occurred, as critical infrastructure remained unaffected. The incident highlighted the targeted nature of the attack, which exploited a single account rather than systemic vulnerabilities. Response efforts focused on neutralizing the immediate threat, notifying potential victims, and evaluating procedural adjustments to mitigate future risks.