“Sensitive” files were stolen during a cyber attack on the French Interior Ministry

The French government announced Wednesday that “a few dozen” secret records had been extracted during a cyberattack on the French Interior Ministry that lasted several days.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the matter as “very dangerous” before the deputies, announcing immediate measures to strengthen the ministry’s cybersecurity.

When the minister was asked about the scale of the attack during an accountability session in the National Assembly, he acknowledged the seriousness of the breach that occurred last week.

Nunez explained that the security breach occurred due to weak “digital safety,” as passwords were exchanged that allowed access to protected files via hacked professional messaging systems.

The breach allowed one or more hackers to access “very sensitive” files, including the criminal records processing file and the wanted persons file, which are two files essential for the work of the security forces.

Although a group of hackers claimed responsibility for stealing data related to 16 million people, the minister stressed that at this stage, only “a few dozen records” have been extracted so far.

In the face of this “disregard”, Laurent Nunez announced a series of immediate “remedial measures”.