Belgian tax authority shuts digital services after cyberattack
Belgium shuts MyMinfin and other digital services after a cyberattack; no data breach has been established.
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Belgium’s federal public service for Finance was hit by a cyberattack on Wednesday. MyMinfin and several other digital services are temporarily inaccessible while the authorities investigate exactly what happened.
The FPS Finance said the attack has affected digital services. MyMinfin, the platform used by individuals and businesses to manage their tax affairs, is one of the systems temporarily shut down. Much of the remaining functionality remains available, either fully or partially.
According to the Belgian public service, there is currently no indication that personal data has been stolen. This does not mean that a data breach has been definitively ruled out: the consequences of the attack are still being investigated and the systems are undergoing technical examination.
The temporary shutdown is intended to limit risks and enable security work. The FPS says it wants to restore the affected services as quickly as possible, but has not yet given a timetable.
The disruption may affect taxpayers who have to file returns involving specific types of income. The Belgian government has therefore announced that sufficient extensions will be granted in these cases. A new deadline will be announced later.
The attack therefore affects not only the government, but also citizens, accountants and businesses that depend on the online tax infrastructure. For Dutch users, the key point is that the incident shows how vulnerable public digital portals are: a precautionary measure can immediately affect large groups of users, even when no data loss has yet been established.
The Belgian authorities have not yet named a perpetrator, attack method or motive. While the investigation is under way, it is also unclear whether the attack is connected to other recent cyber incidents in Belgium or Europe.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Belgium’s FPS Finance was hit by a cyberattack on 28 October.
- MyMinfin and several other digital services have been temporarily shut down.
- According to the service, there is currently no indication of data theft.
- Extensions will be granted for certain tax returns.
- The perpetrator, motive and attack method have not been disclosed.
Left
Arguments The attack shows that public digital services must be treated as essential infrastructure. The government should invest more structurally in security, staff and alternative offline services so that citizens do not suffer because of vulnerabilities in government systems.
Values Access to public services, protection of citizens and collective responsibility.
Consequences More public investment and stricter requirements for government and ICT suppliers, but potentially also higher taxes and longer implementation periods.
Centre
Arguments The precautionary shutdown is defensible as long as the technical situation remains unclear, but governments must communicate transparently and provide reasonable extensions. Security, continuity and proportionality must be safeguarded together.
Values Reliable government, legal certainty and practical feasibility.
Consequences Targeted security investment and better crisis procedures, without immediately restricting all digital services on a structural basis.
Right
Arguments The government must get its digital foundations in order and take responsibility for failing systems. This means clear standards, accountable officials and potentially more scope for specialised private security providers.
Values Responsibility, efficiency, security and the protection of property and data.
Consequences Stricter contractual requirements and oversight, but also a risk of higher costs and greater dependence on commercial technology companies.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key facts have been confirmed by the Belgian public service and an independent Reuters report. Uncertainties about the attack method, perpetrator and any data theft are explicitly described as unresolved.
- confirmed Belgium’s FPS Finance reported a cyberattack on 28 October. — Mentioned in the FPS Finance’s official statement. source
- confirmed MyMinfin and several other digital services have been made temporarily inaccessible. — Confirmed by the FPS Finance and Reuters. source
- confirmed There is currently no indication that data has been stolen. — The FPS Finance says there is currently no indication of this. source
- confirmed Extensions will be granted for certain tax returns. — This is stated in the official announcement and in the Reuters report. source
- confirmed The perpetrator and attack method have not yet been disclosed. — The sources consulted name neither a perpetrator nor a technical attack method. source
Editor's note
It is certain that the FPS Finance reported a cyberattack on 28 October, temporarily shut down several digital services and announced extensions for certain tax returns. There is still no indication of data theft, but the investigation is not complete; the perpetrator and attack method are unknown.Sources
- Incident de cybersécurité au SPF Finances — FOD Financiën België
- Belgium tax agency hit by cyberattack, shuts online portal — Reuters via Channel NewsAsia
More on this in Dutch media
- Tweakers — „cyberaanval belgië”
- AD — „cyberaanval belgië”
- RTL Nieuws — „cyberaanval belgië”