The French Interior Ministry has confirmed that its email servers were hacked. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said this in an interview with RTL, noting that the incident happened this week.
According to the minister, the attacker was able to access some files, but there are currently no signs of serious data compromise. “We have strengthened security measures, in particular, tightened access conditions to the information system for all our agents,” Nunes emphasized.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs responded promptly to the threat: proactive checks of servers and mailboxes were carried out, mandatory two-factor authentication was introduced, and all employees were reminded of digital hygiene rules.
The facts of the incident were reported to Paris prosecutor Laure Becco, and an investigation was launched under the leadership of the Office for the Fight Against Cybercrime (Ofac). The origin of the attack has not yet been established — it could be foreign interference, the actions of hackers seeking to demonstrate the vulnerability of government structures, or ordinary cybercrime.
This incident serves as yet another reminder of the growing threats in cyberspace. French authorities continue to strengthen measures to protect government information systems amid frequent attacks on European institutions.