On January 13, 2026, AZ Monica hospital in Antwerp, Belgium, suffered a major cyberattack that shut down its entire computer system. The hospital had to cancel surgeries, and seven critically ill patients were rushed to other hospitals. This incident shows just how dangerous ransomware attacks can be for patient care.
Early Tuesday morning at 6:32 AM, IT staff noticed something was wrong. Hackers were attacking their computer network. Hospital leaders quickly shut down all servers at both their Antwerp and Deurne locations to stop the attack from spreading.
The results were immediate and serious:
Hospital leaders haven't shared all the details, but multiple sources say this was a ransomware attack. Ransomware is when hackers lock a computer system and demand money to unlock it.
Local newspapers reported that the hackers may have asked for ransom money, but the hospital hasn't confirmed this. Belgium's police and cybercrime experts are investigating to find out exactly what happened and who was responsible.
AZ Monica isn't alone. Belgian hospitals are facing more cyberattacks than ever before:
Why are hospitals such popular targets? Hackers know that:
Belgium isn't the only country dealing with this crisis. Hospital ransomware attacks jumped 30% globally in 2025. In just the first nine months of that year, 293 hospitals and clinics were attacked.
Some experts predict that by the end of 2026, 60% of health systems will have problems delivering care because of ransomware.
The scariest part? These attacks cost lives. Research shows that more than 20% of hospitals hit by cyberattacks report more patient deaths after the incident. One study found that ransomware attacks led to between 42 and 67 patient deaths in the US between 2016 and 2021.
While investigating the AZ Monica attack, cybersecurity experts found something worse. At least five Belgian hospitals had been hacked through their patient registration software company.
This second attack leaked personal information for about 71,000 patients and healthcare workers onto the dark web. This shows how one weak link in the chain can put multiple hospitals at risk.
From a criminal's point of view, hospitals are the perfect target:
Valuable Information: Medical records have everything - your full medical history, insurance details, prescriptions, and personal information. This data sells for high prices to identity thieves.
Time Pressure: When a store gets hacked, customers might not notice for months. When a hospital gets hacked, everyone knows immediately because doctors can't access patient files.
Life and Death: Hackers know that canceled surgeries and delayed treatments put lives at risk. This creates massive pressure to pay the ransom quickly.
Old Computer Systems: Many hospitals use outdated technology that's easier to hack. They often can't afford to upgrade because they need to spend money on patient care instead.
The Belgian government is taking this threat seriously:
AZ Monica hospital is slowly getting back to normal. By mid-January, they planned to reopen at half capacity while continuing to fix their systems. The hospital has requested €15 million over the next three years to install better security, including AI systems that can detect threats and blockchain technology to protect medical records.
The AZ Monica attack teaches important lessons:
The AZ Monica attack shows that hospital cybersecurity isn't just about protecting computers - it's about protecting patients. When hospitals can't access their systems, people can die.
With 70 canceled surgeries and seven patients needing emergency transfers, this attack proves that ransomware is a patient safety issue. Hospitals must treat cybersecurity as essential, not optional. The cost of not protecting systems is simply too high when lives are on the line.