Orange Belgium disclosed on Wednesday that attackers breached one of its IT systems in July, leading to unauthorized access to data from roughly 850,000 customer accounts. The company, which provides fixed and mobile connectivity to more than 3 million customers in Belgium and Luxembourg and employs about 1,500 staff, noted that the breach occurred on a system it operates but did not indicate systems were encrypted as a result of the incident.
According to the telecom provider, the attackers did not obtain passwords, email addresses, or financial information of impacted customers. However, they were able to access data such as surname, first name, telephone number, SIM card number, PUK code, and tariff plan. Orange Belgium said it is notifying affected customers by email or SMS and urged them to remain vigilant for suspicious messages or calls that might try to impersonate Orange or other companies to obtain additional sensitive data.
The company added that it is aware of the threat group behind the breach but did not name them due to an ongoing investigation. It stressed that the incident is not believed to be part of broader attacks on telecoms linked to Salt Typhoon, a cyber-espionage operation previously reported by security researchers.
Officials emphasized that the breach is separate from a cyberattack disclosed by Orange Group at the end of July, which primarily affected French customers and did not indicate a widespread intrusion across the group’s footprint. Orange Belgium’s disclosure aligns with past incidents involving the group, including a February breach at its Romanian arm and a 2020 ransomware incident affecting Orange Business Solutions.
Orange Group remains a major telecom operator with a footprint spanning Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The company reported €40.3 billion in revenue in 2024, while Orange Belgium serves more than 3 million customers in Belgium and Luxembourg and reported significant revenues in the prior year.