The city council has learned from its mistakes and announces the “Cyberfort Antwerp” project. Ghent also plans to strengthen its digital wall.

The city of Antwerp wants to strengthen its cybersecurity with a “cyberfortress”. The aim of the project is to create a “safe and reliable digital environment in which residents, companies and institutions can live and work with confidence,” Belga quotes. The city council can count on 3.2 million euros in funding from Europe to implement the project.

Ten months ago there was a major cyberattack in Antwerp in which hackers stole 557 GB of data. Even worse was the damage the attack caused to the board’s digital services and the many millions of euros the attack cost. Even without this attack, the city government would have invested in its digital security, but it goes without saying that the attack increased the urgency. A donkey doesn’t hit the same stone twice.

With Cyberfort Antwerp, the city council wants to better arm itself in the future and prevent similar incidents. “The ultimate goal of this cybersecurity program is the maximum control of cyber risks for the organization as well as internal and external users,” we read about Belga.

Snowball effect

Antwerp is not the only Belgian city putting cybersecurity at the top of the political agenda. Ghent can also count on a check from Europe for 1.2 million euros to improve digital security. This money will also be spent on “better protecting critical ICT resources and their users and checking applications for vulnerabilities”.

Minister Jo Brouns (CD&V) is satisfied that the Flemish municipal authorities understand the seriousness of cybersecurity. He hopes that the findings and results from the projects in Antwerp and Ghent can serve as an example for the cybersecurity policies of other municipalities. Shortly after the attack on Antwerp, there were attacks on Diest and Geraardsbergen, among others.