France’s Interior Ministry faced a sustained cyberattack that lasted several days, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez revealed. The hackers targeted professional email accounts at the Place Beauvau ministry, which employs nearly 300,000 people. The breach came to light after ministry officials noticed unusual activity in their email systems. Nuñez confirmed the attack publicly on Wednesday, emphasizing that authorities had taken immediate steps to secure the compromised accounts and launch an investigation.
The intrusion exposed sensitive police information, raising concerns about the potential impact on ongoing investigations. While Nuñez stressed that public safety was not at risk, he acknowledged the seriousness of the breach, noting that hackers could access critical internal files. The minister sought to reassure citizens that the situation was under control and that authorities were working swiftly to understand the full scope of the attack.
How Hackers Gained Access
According to Nuñez, the attackers infiltrated several professional email inboxes and recovered login credentials, giving them access to important internal systems. The hackers viewed files including the Criminal Records Processing System (TAJ) and the Wanted Persons File (FPR). While officials are still assessing the full impact, preliminary investigations suggest that a few dozen files may have been removed from the system.
Nuñez said he could not confirm whether the breach compromised ongoing investigations but stressed that it did not endanger the lives of French citizens. The ministry also confirmed that no ransom demand had been received. The minister attributed the breach to human error, pointing out that repeated reminders about cybersecurity protocols were ignored by a small number of individuals, which created a vulnerability the hackers exploited.
Official Response and Ongoing Investigations
The cyberattack first came to public attention after BFMTV reported suspicious activity on the ministry’s email servers. Shortly after, a hacker group claimed, without providing proof, that it had accessed data related to more than 16 million people in police files. Nuñez categorically denied these claims, calling them false, and emphasized that the ministry had notified the CNIL, the National Commission on Informatics and Liberty, as required by law. He also ordered an internal administrative investigation to determine how the breach occurred.
France’s Anti-Cybercrime Office (OFAC) is now leading the investigation, with judicial authorities working to identify and apprehend the perpetrators as quickly as possible. Nuñez stressed the importance of accountability and better adherence to security protocols to prevent future attacks. While the situation remains under investigation, officials are confident that immediate steps have limited the damage and safeguarded critical information.
