Record breach of French government exposes up to 43 million people’s data

Record breach of French government exposes up to 43 million people's data

March 14, 2024 at 12:11PM

France Travail, a French government department, reported a massive data breach compromising personal information of up to 43 million citizens. The stolen data includes names, social security numbers, and contact details, posing a risk of identity theft. An investigation is underway, and citizens are advised to remain vigilant against potential phishing attempts. The breach is deemed the worst-ever in France.

Following the meeting notes, it has been reported that the French government department, France Travail, has experienced a significant data breach compromising the personal information of up to 43 million citizens. The breached data includes names, dates of birth, social security numbers, France Travail identifiers, email addresses, postal addresses, and phone numbers. However, passwords and banking details were not affected. The Cybercrime Brigade of the Paris Judicial Police Department is leading the investigation and has determined that the breach occurred between February 6 and March 5. Additionally, it’s been warned that the stolen data could potentially be used in conjunction with other breaches to compile larger sets of data on individuals.

In response to the breach, France Travail is taking measures to inform those affected and has expressed a commitment to strengthening its protection systems. This incident follows a previous one involving a service provider in which the data of approximately 10 million French citizens was compromised.

Furthermore, this breach comes in the context of other recent cyber incidents affecting France, including a large-scale data breach involving third-party payment providers for healthcare and insurance companies, as well as DDoS attacks on various government departments.

The severity of this breach, as well as the recent surge in cyberattacks targeting France, presents a significant challenge for the country’s cybersecurity and data protection efforts. France Travail is taking steps to address the breach and inform those impacted, while the French government is dealing with an ongoing series of cyber threats.

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