Antwerp could not collect parking fines for a month due to a hack

Free parking in the city center. Sounds too good to be true? Not in Antwerp. Due to a hack, the city was unable to collect parking fines for a month. We don’t know how many parkers have already put it to good use.

Among other things, parking controls in the city are difficult because “the systems are not connected”. This is what the Antwerp Alderman for Mobility Koen Kennis told the VRT. People who park without paying cannot be fined. As a result, City have already lost around €1.2m in the past four weeks.

On December 6, the computer systems of the municipality of Antwerp were hacked. Hacking collective Play claimed responsibility and threatened to leak citizens’ personal data. The collective demanded a ransom from the municipality to prevent the disclosure.

After an investigation by the municipality, it turned out that no sensitive data had been stolen, but a month after the hack, the problems are not yet solved.

Large crowds are expected in the city in the coming days due to post-holiday sales. The municipality calls on visitors to park on the outskirts of the city and take the tram to the center.

Despite the problems, the city continues to enforce parking controls. “In any case, we can issue a fine for incorrect parking,” Alderman Kennis said.