French Interior Ministry Suffers Major Cyberattack, Critical Police Files Accessed
â–Ľ Summary
– The French Interior Ministry was the target of a massive cyberattack, with “a few dozen” confidential files extracted from its systems.
– The attackers accessed sensitive police databases, including the criminal records (TAJ) and wanted persons (FPR) files.
– The intrusion occurred over several days via compromised employee email accounts, which the minister attributed to “imprudences” and rule-breaking.
– Two investigations have been opened and the data protection authority (CNIL) notified, but the perpetrators remain unidentified.
– The minister denies hacker claims of stealing data on millions of people and states no ransom demand was received, downplaying the danger to citizens.
A significant cyberattack has targeted the French Ministry of the Interior, leading to the unauthorized access of sensitive police files and prompting two separate investigations. Minister of the Interior Laurent Nuñez described the incident as a “very serious act,” confirming that confidential records were extracted from the ministry’s systems over a period of several days. While the full scope of the breach is still being assessed, officials acknowledge that a few dozen files were compromised during the intrusion.
The attack specifically involved access to critical law enforcement databases, including the Judicial Records Processing file (TAJ) and the Wanted Persons file (FPR). Minister Nuñez emphasized the importance of these systems but noted that the exact nature and extent of the data taken remains unclear. He stated that the perpetrators behind the cyber assault have not yet been identified, and no ransom demand has been received.
Investigative authorities have launched both judicial and administrative inquiries into the matter. The National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL), France’s data protection authority, has also been notified and is involved in the response. The Office for Anti-Cybercrime (OFAC) is leading the criminal investigation.
The breach was executed through a sophisticated method targeting the email systems of ministry personnel. Attackers managed to obtain passwords from employee mailboxes, which then provided them with credentials to infiltrate broader information systems. Nuñez pointed to “imprudences” and a failure by some individuals to follow established security protocols as a key vulnerability, despite regular internal communications on cybersecurity best practices.
This incident follows claims from a hacking group, which alleged it accessed data on over 16 million individuals from police files. The minister has firmly denied these assertions, stating there is no evidence to support the extraction of millions of records and that the incident does not endanger public safety. The ongoing investigations aim to determine the precise damage and identify those responsible for this serious security violation.
(Source: Le Monde)