The cyberattack blocked several ministries and civilian air control.
Several French government departments were hit by an “unprecedented intensity” of cyberattacks claimed by pro-Russian hackers, the French news agency AFP reported on Monday evening.
The series of attacks was claimed by several hacker groups on the Telegram social networking site, including Anonymous Sudan, which supports Russia and Islamism.
According to these hackers, “the massive cyberattack” affected the ministries in charge of the economic, cultural and energy transition, as well as the prime minister’s office and the French Civil Aviation Authority.
The attacks “cannot be attributed to the Russians for the time being,” a security source told AFP. However, another source said Anonymous Sudan’s claim was “credible,” while a third urged caution over jumping to conclusions.
“Since last night, several government bodies have been the target of cyberattacks of unprecedented intensity,” confirmed the French prime minister’s office, which has set up a “crisis team to take countermeasures”. According to the information, several ministries have been affected, including the Ministry of Labor.