Belgian table tennis, gymnastics federations hit by cyberattacks
Belgian table tennis and gymnastics federations have been targeted by cyberattacks, with a hacker claiming to have stolen data on over 66,800 table tennis members and 200,000 gymnastics members. The attacks follow a trend of cyber incidents affecting sports organizations in France, with a separate investigation linking a suspected member of the ZeroBytes hacking group to breaches of French national federations. The Belgian incidents are currently under investigation, and the federation is taking steps to notify affected individuals and enhance security.
Belgian table tennis and gymnastics federations are currently investigating a series of cyberattacks. Jean-Michel Mureau, president of the French-speaking Association Francophone de Tennis de Table (AFTT), confirmed the attacks, stating that the Royal Belgian Table Tennis Federation (FRBTT) had also been affected.
“I can confirm that there was indeed an attack,” Mureau said in a statement. “We have tasked our IT department with investigating to determine exactly what data was compromised.”
The attacks were initially reported by FrenchBreaches, a website tracking data leaks and cyberattacks. A hacker using the handle Venus1337 claimed responsibility for the attacks, alleging they had obtained nearly 1.7 gigabytes of data, including records linked to over 66,800 table tennis members and 17,400 users, as well as administrative accounts belonging to clubs. The hacker also claimed responsibility for a separate breach involving Belgium’s French-speaking Gymnastics Federation (FfG), just days earlier.
The FfG subsequently confirmed that unauthorized individuals had accessed part of its IT environment and extracted data. “As soon as the incident was discovered, we called in experts,” the FfG said Thursday. “The access route used was neutralized, the affected access points were secured, and our systems are now subject to enhanced monitoring.”
Potentially affected information includes names, email and postal addresses, phone numbers, details related to coaching qualifications and judges’ licenses, and information contained in accident reports. The FfG warned that this information could potentially be used for impersonation or attempts to obtain additional personal data. The organization said it had not observed any misuse of the information so far.
Since late 2025, more than 30 French sports organizations have reportedly been affected by cyberattacks or data breaches, including federations overseeing tennis, skiing, swimming, sailing, golf, football and shooting. There is no evidence that these incidents were connected to the attacks in Belgium. Earlier this month, French authorities detained an 18-year-old suspected member of the ZeroBytes hacking group, which previously claimed responsibility for the breach of the French Handball Federation.
Belgian authorities are currently investigating the extent of the data breach and taking steps to notify affected individuals and enhance security measures.