Cyberattack: New data breach affects French tax authorities
The Ministry of Economy and Finance recently confirmed a new personal data breach. Following two previous incidents, this is the third cyber intrusion targeting French tax services in a short period of time. This situation is causing concern among many citizens regarding the security of their private information.
According to initial reports, hackers managed to access the accounts of several thousand taxpayers. The compromised data generally includes names, first names, tax identification numbers, and, in some cases, bank details. Authorities specify that the payment systems themselves were not directly affected, but caution remains advised.
In response to this attack, the tax administration immediately blocked access to the affected accounts to protect users. Those impacted by this breach are currently receiving individual notifications via email or through their personal space on the impots.gouv.fr website. Users are advised to change their passwords promptly and to monitor their bank statements.
Cybersecurity experts remind the public that fraudsters often use this information to send "phishing" messages. It is therefore crucial never to click on suspicious links received via email or SMS, even if they appear to come officially from the tax administration.
An investigation has been opened by the competent authorities to identify those responsible for this intrusion. The French government has promised to strengthen the security of state digital platforms to prevent such a situation from recurring in the future.