Cyber attack on Hauts-de-France region: 700,000 people affected
Two service providers in the Hauts-de-France region fell victim to a cyber attack. More than 700,000 items of personal data, including bank account details, are alleged to have been stolen by hackers.
Compromised personal data
According to TF1 Info, the Hauts-de-France region announced on Saturday that its two service providers, Atexo and Docaposte, suffered a major cyber attack. Initial investigations confirm that names, surnames, email addresses and potentially bank account details are among the compromised data.
The region states that it cannot specify the exact number of people affected or whether other categories of data were accessed. The specialist website FrenchBreaches reports that a user claimed responsibility for the attack and asserted they held the personal information of more than 700,000 people, although this figure cannot be verified for the time being. The stolen data is said to concern regional aid in particular.
Complaint and measures
The institution filed a complaint with the relevant authorities. The affected platforms have been shut down and users are beginning to be informed of the risks. The region states it remains mobilised to determine the precise scope of the incident and to notify the people concerned.
France is among the countries most targeted by cyber attacks due to the attractiveness of its data and certain gaps in its defences, according to experts. Stolen data is generally resold on the black market and exploited for scams.
Source: TF1 Info