The Federal Health Department says that around 75% of hospitals in Belgium do not yet have adequate cyber security. The warning comes following the cyberattack on the AZ Monica hospital in Antwerp. Smaller hospitals and psychiatric institutions are least likely to be adequately protected from cyberattacks.
Only 15% of Belgian hospitals meet the recognised standards for digital identification and access control. Hospitals in Flanders and teaching hospitals generally perform better. The authorities say that cyberattacks are increasingly being used as a weapon in the current geopolitical climate and that health care is a key target.
There has been some improvement in recent times and the Federal Government is investing 15 million euro/annum in cybersecurity.
The not-for-profit organisation SHIELD that will continue to offer advice and guidance to hospitals and draw up cybersecurity action plans covering the next three years.
Meanwhile, AZ Monica said its computer servers will not be back online today (Wednesday). All surgical procedures have been postponed.
The cyberattack at AZ Monica was discovered early on Tuesday. The hospital switched off the servers at its sites in the centre of Antwerp and in the Antwerp district of Deurne. It is still not clear whether patient data was accessed by the hackers. Seven patients were transferred to other hospitals.
The hospital reports that around 30% of planned care is able to proceed safely on Wednesday. Some consultations will go ahead as planned and the hospital’s day clinics will remain open. Patients are being contacted directly. Meanwhile, the hospital’s website is still offline. The prosecutor’s office says that no ransom has been has been demanded by the hackers.