March 11, 2024 at 10:45PM
The French government reported unprecedented cyberattacks targeting several of its services, prompting the activation of a crisis center to restore online services. While the impact has been reduced, details of the attacks and responsible group, supposedly Anonymous Sudan, are not confirmed. France has been enhancing cyber defenses ahead of the Paris Olympics amid ongoing tensions with Russia.
Key takeaways from the meeting notes:
– The French government has experienced cyberattacks of “unprecedented intensity,” which started on Sunday night and targeted multiple government ministries. The impact of the attacks has been reduced for most services, and access to government sites has been restored.
– A group of hackers called Anonymous Sudan, considered pro-Russia by cybersecurity experts, claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the French prime minister’s office and digital safety agency did not comment on this claim or provide specific details about what was targeted or the extent of the damage.
– The attacks were identified as denial-of-service attacks, a common type of cyberattack involving overwhelming a site with data to knock it offline.
– France has been strengthening its cyber defenses before the Paris Olympics and in response to previous ransomware attacks, including those on hospitals in 2021.
– The French government has accused Russia of operating a long-running online manipulation campaign against Ukraine’s Western backers.
– President Emmanuel Macron has taken an increasingly tough line against Moscow and the war that Russian President Vladimir Putin started in Ukraine.