The NSA and the GCHQ are the main suspects in this reportedly state-sponsored attack

Sep 16, 2013 09:17 GMT  ·  By

Belgacom, the largest telecommunications company in Belgium, has been hacked. The company’s representatives said they found a piece of malware on a number of internal IT systems.

According to a statement published by Belgacom, the unknown virus found on servers and workstations has been cleaned up. Authorities have been called in to investigate the incident.

“Thus far we have no indication of any impact on our customers or their data. The virus has only been detected in the internal computer system of Belgacom, not in its telecom network,” the telecoms firm noted.

“At no point in time has the delivery of our telecommunication services been compromised. Neither has the clean-up caused any disturbance to our customers. All their telecom applications and services have continued to function normally,” it added.

Belgacom has refused to name a culprit, saying that it’s up to authorities to bring clarifications.

Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor told De Standaard that the attack was highly sophisticated. In fact, it appears to be the work of a state-sponsored entity.

The malware used in the Belgacom hack is designed to collect strategic information, not to cause damage.

Dutch website NRC.nl reports that the main suspects are the United Kingdom Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and the United State National Security Agency (NSA).

The publication’s sources have revealed that sophisticated malware has been hosted on Belgacom’s servers since 2011. The threat allowed the attackers to access phone and Internet information.

Belgacom International Carrier Services (BICS), a global provider of wholesale carrier services, is said to have been the main target. BICS is a joint venture with South Africa’s MTN and Swisscom.

By breaching BICS, the hackers could reportedly intercept telephone and Web data from countries such as Syria and Yemen.