Orange Telecom Hit By Major Cyberattack
▼ Summary
– Orange detected a cyberattack on its network on July 25, leading to operational disruptions primarily affecting French customers, expected to be resolved by July 30.
– The compromised system was isolated by Orange Cyberdefense, limiting the impact, but some business and consumer services were disrupted.
– Orange has alerted authorities and found no evidence of data theft, though investigations are ongoing.
– The attack resembles breaches linked to China’s Salt Typhoon group, which previously targeted telecom providers like AT&T and Verizon.
– Orange’s Romanian branch faced a separate cyberattack in February, involving stolen employee data and internal documents.
Orange Telecom, one of France’s leading telecommunications providers, has confirmed a significant cybersecurity breach affecting its network infrastructure. The incident, detected on July 25, prompted immediate action from the company’s dedicated cybersecurity division, Orange Cyberdefense, which isolated the compromised systems to prevent further spread.
The attack caused temporary service disruptions, particularly for customers in France, with full restoration expected by July 30. In an official statement, Orange clarified that while some business and consumer services were impacted, swift containment measures minimized broader damage. Authorities were promptly notified, and an investigation is underway, though no evidence of data theft has been found so far.
Though the company has not publicly identified the attackers, cybersecurity experts note similarities to recent breaches targeting global telecom operators. These incidents have been linked to China’s Salt Typhoon hacking group, known for infiltrating major providers like AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen in the U.S., as well as firms across Europe and Asia.
This isn’t the first security challenge for Orange this year. In February, its Romanian subsidiary faced a separate breach involving stolen employee records, contracts, and sensitive documents. The attacker, operating under the alias ‘Rey,’ claimed to have accessed thousands of internal files.
With 294 million customers across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Orange remains a critical player in global telecom. Its enterprise division, Orange Business, serves multinational corporations, contributing to the company’s €40.3 billion revenue in 2024. As cyber threats evolve, the telecom giant continues reinforcing its defenses to safeguard customer data and maintain operational resilience.
(Source: Bleeping Computer)
