- French Interior Ministry hacked, exposing email servers and internal files
- The extent of the data theft is still unknown
- APT28 suspected, due to past attacks against French government entities
The French Ministry of the Interior has confirmed that it recently suffered a cyber attack, but the consequences are still being determined.
The French Interior Minister said the attack took place during the night between December 11 and 12. Email servers were compromised, allowing threat actors to access some document files. However, it is currently unclear whether they managed to steal anything and, if so, what exactly.
“There was indeed a cyber attack. An attacker was able to access several files. So we implemented the usual protection procedures,” Interior Minister Laurent Núñez told local radio. RTL Radio. “It could be foreign interference, it could be people who want to challenge authorities and prove that they are capable of accessing systems, and it could also be cybercrime. Right now, we don’t know what it is.”
Was it the Russians?
Other than that, details are scarce, as it is not known exactly who was responsible or what they were looking for.
Initial reports speculate that the attack could have been the work of APT28, an advanced persistent threat actor linked to Russia’s Military Intelligence Service (GRU). Also known as Fancy Bear or Forest Blizzard, APT28 has been attributed to many high-profile cyberespionage campaigns across the West.
For example, a recent report by the French National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI), APT28, often targets government agencies, research companies, think tanks, and companies in the French defense technological and industrial base.
They also target aerospace organizations and other companies in the financial and economic sector. For years, APT28 also targeted Roundcube email servers, collecting vital data from North American and European governments and diplomats.
In July 2025, the UK’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) warned about APT28 targeting Microsoft 365 accounts with specialized malware called Authentic Antics.
The best antivirus for all budgets
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
