A hacker broke into the system of the local police area of Zwijndrecht (Antwerp) and leaked thousands of license plates, speeding fines and traffic reports, VTM Nieuws reported on Thursday evening and Het Laatste Nieuws. This is one of the biggest public data leaks in Belgium, according to the two Flemish media.
The hacker allegedly had access to data for the period from 2006 to September 2022. The hacker allegedly tried to extort money from the police by downloading a copy of the data and posting it on the internet, according to media reports. It was a Dutch journalist working for RTL Nieuws who noticed the maneuver and reported it to the editorial staff of VTM Nieuws and Het Laatste Nieuws. The Flemish media then noted that thousands of reports were indeed online, including sensitive cases, such as photos of an abused boy who had filed a complaint once morest his father.
