site.btaCyber Attack Attempt Thwarted by Belgian Media

Belgium's top media company IPM shared on Friday that its newspapers Dernière Heure, Libre Belgique and LN24 were the target of a cyber-attack. The attack was successfully thwarted but forced the newspapers to publish in a reduced format, impacting their distribution.

The statement did not specify the origin or methods of the attack, only noting that technical teams from the editorial departments were investigating the incident. The group remains committed to their goal of information dissemination, a task of even greater importance with the elections just three days away. Belgium is set to hold elections for Federal Parliament members, European Parliament representatives, and regional officials.

The European Parliament (EP) highlighted the online disinformation campaigns aimed at misleading European citizens ahead of elections in EU. Numerous attempts to manipulate voters with false information were uncovered by institutions, authorities, civil society representatives, and fact-checkers.

It was noted that incorrect voting instructions have spread, discouraging citizen participation in elections. Public focus has been diverted to inconsequential matters, causing societal division. These efforts often involve flooding the media with deceptive information, particularly targeting high-profile politicians. It was further added that misinformation is often linked with key aspects of European politics, such as support for Ukraine, the Green Deal, and migration issues. Such misinformation is commonly spread through fake online profiles or websites impersonating reputable media sources.