🧨 The attack that no one wanted … but everyone needed

In early July, telecom giant Orange Belgium was the target of a targeted cyber attack. The media called it “a temporary incident,” Orange itself stressed that customer service remained largely guaranteed, and many an SME businessman breathed a sigh of relief: “See, even if they get in, the damage isn’t too bad.”

But anyone looking at this attack through cybersecurity glasses knows one thing: this could have ended up much worse, and the way Orange reacted especially shows how narrow the difference is between a controlled crisis … and total chaos.

And that is exactly the lesson of this incident for every Belgian SME. Because while big players like Orange invest millions in high-end security, SMEs often rely on a mix of “we have antivirus, right?”, “our IT partner takes care of that”, and “we’re too small to be interesting”.

❗Realitycheck: Cybercriminals are precisely targeting SMEs today – because they know the door is ajar there. And that with a relatively simple attack you can cause weeks or even months of business damage.

🔍 What really happened at Orange?

While not every technical detail is public, the forensic traces on the dark web as well as Orange’s own response show a fairly predictable but efficient pattern:

1. Initial breach: Most likely via a stolen user account, weak password or unpatched application.

2. Lateral movement: Once inside, the attacker crawls from device to device – typically via RDP, Windows tooling or brute force – in search of crown jewels.

3. Privilege escalation: The attacker seeks a path to admin rights within the network.

4. Mass encryption and/or exfiltration: At this point they start the real game: encrypting systems or exfiltrating sensitive data.

5. Impact + blackmail: Data blocking, pressure, ransom demands. “Pay or pray”.

Orange had to hastily shut down portions of its network, isolate monitoring tools, and fall back on emergency procedures. The immediate impact for individuals was limited, but behind the scenes it was all hands on deck.

💣 What does this mean for your SME?

Here comes the painful truth no one likes to hear: if Orange – with security teams, 24/7 monitoring and huge budgets – gets hit, why should your SME slip up?

Cybercriminals think in business terms:

• An SME with 25 employees = fast hack, slow detection, maximum chaos

• Little internal security knowledge = long negotiation time

• System critical data = opportunity to pay = profit

And that is exactly why SMEs have become the favorite target of ransomware groups, phishing gangs and even script kiddies who rent off-the-shelf hacking tools for a few hundred euros a month.

🧠 The core lesson of the Orange attack: security fails not because of technology, but because of mindset

The technology exists: MFA, zero-trust, backups, EDR, XDR, segmentation, patching, awareness.
Yet companies continue to go down – not because that technology is failing, but because we are not using it properly.

“We rely on one external IT partner.”
“We have a firewall – everything is secure.”
“We do have backups somewhere…”
“We are too small – they are more likely to grab the big companies.”

Those are not strategies. Those are excuses.

Security is a mindset issue. It’s about discipline, testing, simulating, training people, practicing procedures, taking ownership over your own risks.

⚙️ The 7 lessons every SME should apply today (or regret tomorrow)

1. Zero-trust is not a buzzword – it is your salvation

Stop thinking in terms of “inside” and “outside” your network.
Start from this principle: everyone who connects – even your own staff member – must continue to prove to themselves that they really are who they say they are and only get access to what they need.

✅ Multi-factor authentication on every system
✅ No shared passwords or “admin” accounts
✅ Segmentation: accounting does not need access to your production fleet

If they could make movement within the network at Orange, how likely is it that attackers have been moving undetected for days at your place without your knowledge?

2. Detection and response > prevention alone

Too many SMBs invest only in “blocking” (firewall, antivirus), but forget that modern attacks slip through that.
Orange is lucky/their homework that they ran detection technology (EDR/XDR) + a response team that switched immediately.

✅ Install endpoint detection systems
✅ Have your IT partner monitor anomalies
✅ Simulate a hack to know how quickly you respond

Whoever responds to a breach within 30 minutes survives. Those who don’t notice until the files are encrypted … pay.

3. Backups are worthless without tested recovery

“Don’t worry, we make backups” – sounds nice. But will that encrypted data be restored in minutes or will it take days?
Are your backups stored offline or do they (like 70% of the cases…) also hang with you on the network and are they encrypted at the same time?

✅ Create offline (“air-gapped”) backups
✅ Do recovery exercises (at least 2x per year)
✅ Backups not only of data, but also of systems & configurations

Backups are worth nothing if it takes 3 days to get back online – because you will have lost your customers in the meantime.

4. Phishing = the front door. Train your people like your life depends on it.

Most attacks start with one simple click on a convincing email. SMEs overestimate their employees (“they are smart enough”) … and underestimate the perfection with which phishing emails are created today.

✅ Provide monthly or quarterly awareness training
✅ Conduct internal phishing tests
✅ Reward people who report suspicious emails

Technology is powerful – but one distracted purchasing manager can crack the entire company with one click.

5. Collaborate with your IT partner … but retain ownership of your risk

Many SMEs push everything towards their external IT company: “they take care of it, don’t they?”
But cybersecurity is not a service you can fully outsource. Your IT partner manages the technology, but you remain responsible for the impact.

✅ Ask what measures they have effectively implemented
✅ Require reporting, testing and regular reviews
✅ Ask critical questions: “what if you are hacked tomorrow – will my company be down too?”

At Orange, the incident was managed because the internal organization took responsibility. Do you do the same?

6. Make cybersecurity a management issue, not an IT detail

As long as cybersecurity is something “for the IT guys,” it will always get too little budget and too late attention.
Make it an item at the board meeting. Measure the risk. Plan investments on a multi-year basis. Demand reporting just as you do for sales and finance.

✅ Set KPIs: time to detection, % MFA usage, backup times
✅ Provide an annual budget for awareness, testing, upgrades
✅ Integrate cybersecurity into your business continuity plan

Security is not a cost. It is insurance against stopping your business.

7. Communication: silence during a crisis is deadly

Orange kept the reigns (in part) thanks to prompt communication.
Customers who know about transparent work are willing to forgive mistakes. Those left in the dark leave.

✅ Prepare basic crisis communication texts in advance
✅ Decide who speaks, what you say & when
✅ Communicate honestly: concealment destroys your reputation

📈 Why investing now is the only logical choice

Cybersecurity often feels like a burden: technical, expensive, “something for later.”
Until it goes wrong – and suddenly never means open later.

• 60% of SMBs heavily hacked quit within 6 months

• Average ransomware claim in Belgium (2023): €124,000

• Reputational damage = customer confidence gone, contracts cancelled, sales plummet

Let this be clear: the hack at Orange is not a story about telecom … but a mirror for every SME.
Whoever acts proactively today, builds a robust company. Those who wait, gamble with their future.

🚀 Ready to take action?

✔️ Want to know how vulnerable your SME is today?
✔️ Want independent advice, a 360° cybersecurity scan or help creating a realistic action plan?

👉 Leave your details and let us get started with a no-obligation Cyber QuickScan.
Within 48 hours you’ll know where your biggest risks lie – and what you need to do concretely to avoid an Orange scenario.

Cybercriminals don’t wait. So why should you wait with your defense?

🎯 Conclusion

The attack on Orange Belgium shows in all its simplicity how fragile modern businesses are. Not because technology would fail, but because our mental preparedness lags behind the reality of digital risk.

Those who see this crisis as a warning will ask the right questions today, make the right choices tomorrow – and build a company that exists the day after tomorrow.