France Unveils Ambitious 2030 Cybersecurity Strategy Amid Major Data Breach Fine

Amid escalating cyber threats, France has launched a comprehensive national cybersecurity strategy aimed at bolstering national resilience through 2030. Announced by Minister of Digital Affairs Anne Le Hénanff on January 29, 2026, the strategy addresses the growing risk landscape impacting businesses, local governments, public services, and citizens. Le Hénanff emphasized that cybersecurity must involve all citizens, not only experts, highlighting the collective responsibility necessary for national defense.

This initiative, unveiled in Pessac near Bordeaux, focuses on enhanced prevention, information sharing, training, and national exercises. It also complements a pending resilience law designed to improve protections for 15,000 businesses, currently stalled in the National Assembly.

Concurrently, France's commitment to cybersecurity enforcement was underscored by the recent 5 million euro fine imposed on France Travail by the data protection authority CNIL for a major data breach. The breach, which took place in March 2024, exploited social engineering tactics to access personal data of approximately 36 million individuals, including sensitive identifiers like social security numbers and contact information. CNIL's investigation revealed inadequate security measures, such as weak authentication for CAP EMPLOI advisors and excessively broad data access rights. The authority mandated corrective measures, threatening daily fines for delays in compliance.

France Travail accepted the penalty, expressing regret while committing to strengthening cybersecurity protocols, including stronger passwords and two-factor authentication.

These developments reflect France’s broader strategic push to guard against cyberattacks and protect personal data, reinforcing both prevention and accountability. The combined focus on national strategy and regulatory enforcement signals France’s determination to adapt to the complex and evolving cyber threat environment as it approaches 2030.