Serious Cyberattack Hits French Ministry of the Interior, Judicial Records Compromised

On December 17, 2025, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed a significant cyberattack on the Ministry of the Interior's headquarters in Beauvau. The attack, described as "a very serious act," resulted in unauthorized access to several dozen confidential files, including critical judicial records related to criminal background checks. This breach exploited email accounts of ministry agents, with the ministry employing nearly 300,000 users, some of whom did not fully comply with security protocols.

Two investigations have been launched: a judicial inquiry initiated by the Paris prosecutor's office on December 11 and an administrative probe, aiming to assess the scope of the breach. The National Commission on Informatics and Liberty (CNIL) has also been informed. Technical investigations conducted by the cyber defense center, in collaboration with the National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI), revealed that hackers gained unauthorized access to professional email servers, extracting login credentials that could potentially allow further penetration into the ministry's operational applications.

According to Nunez, the attackers have yet to be identified. He acknowledged that "it only takes a few individuals who do not respect these rules" to cause such incidents, highlighting lapses in protocol adherence as a contributing factor. The Ministry of the Interior has labeled the event as "very grave," emphasizing high vigilance towards handling the fallout.

This cyberattack underscores the vulnerabilities within government digital infrastructure and the critical need for stringent cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive national data.