Due to a DDoS attack, the NMBS website and route planner were down for a while this morning. The app was also unavailable, but that had nothing to do with the attack.

Last night at two o’clock cybercriminals attacked the NMBS website and route planner. Since the railway does not allow train departures at night, this was initially not a problem. However, the disruptive attack continued into the morning. The DDoS attack made the website and route planner inaccessible.

The NMBS referred travelers to the app, but it also had problems early in the morning. In addition, some information boards in the train stations did not work properly. The NMBS says these issues were unrelated to the cyberattack, but the search for an exact cause continues.

No hack

The DDoS attack is a strange story, especially when it comes to timing. After all, such an attack does not cause much damage at night. A DDoS attack is not a hacker attack: it is an attack in which criminals send massive amounts of web traffic to a server, causing the connection to become overloaded. This means that real traffic, such as travelers who want to buy a ticket, can no longer reach a page.

All digital systems are now operational again, so everyone can check whether the physical trains are also operational. NMBS has announced that it will lodge a complaint with the relevant authorities. Such attacks usually come from foreign organizations and the chance of concrete consequences is low.