Buggenhout (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Experts are investigating a cyberattack at the Avalon care facility in Opstal, Buggenhout. IT expert Leroy Vermeulen said hackers partly accessed local servers, but care services remain unaffected.
As VRT News reported, in Opstal, a district of Buggenhout, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, experts are investigating a possible data breach at the Avalon care facility. A team of IT specialists was called in after signs of unauthorised access were detected on the centre’s computer systems.
According to IT expert Leroy Vermeulen, hackers tried to enter Avalon’s local network and were partly successful. He confirmed that the attack did not affect the digital care platform that manages residents’ medical files and daily care plans.
“That platform is still fully operational,”
Vermeulen said.
What data was exposed in the Avalon care facility hack?
Residents are still receiving their medication and daily care without any disruption. Investigators are now checking which parts of the internal system were accessed and whether any personal or financial data was taken. Authorities have been informed, and additional cybersecurity measures have been introduced to protect the network.
“All sensitive data about care and medication is securely stored in the cloud,”
says Vermeulen.
Therefore, operations remain unaffected for the time being.”
Experts are examining whether hackers gained access to personal data stored on Avalon’s local servers in Opstal, Buggenhout. The investigation focuses on finding out if information such as names, addresses, or other private records was taken.
A team of IT specialists is carrying out a forensic review to trace how the attackers entered the system and what parts they reached. The analysis includes checking server activity, security logs, and backup files.
“We are currently mapping out what data may have been leaked,”
says Vermeulen.
Officials mentioned that if it turns out that sensitive data has been exposed, Avalon will inform all residents who may be affected. The care centre has already increased its digital security and blocked access to the systems involved.
Data protection authorities have also been notified and are keeping track of the situation. It is still uncertain when the investigation will be completed, but the results will determine what further steps Avalon will take to secure residents’ information.
In May 2022, Belgium-based healthcare group Vivalia experienced a significant cyber attack that affected hospitals and nursing homes throughout the province of Luxembourg. Hackers compromised substantial areas of the internal network and exfiltrated around 400 gigabytes of sensitive data, which included patient care records and personal information about staff.
The breach moved Vivalia to halt various digital systems for safety reasons and limit the damage of the attack. Hospital activity was disrupted for many days afterwards, and the attack also kicked off a substantial investigation by various cybersecurity authorities to determine the origins of the attack and understand its full impact.
