A hacker accessed a French national database containing information on 1.2 million bank accounts using stolen credentials from a public official. While personal details like names and account numbers were viewed, authorities confirmed that the breach did not allow for the viewing of balances or the execution of financial transactions.
The French Economy Ministry announced on Wednesday that a significant data breach occurred involving a national bank account database. An unauthorized individual managed to gain access to the system starting in late January by utilizing the compromised login credentials of a government official. This database contains comprehensive records of accounts held within French financial institutions, including sensitive personal identifiers.
During the period of unauthorized access, the hacker consulted information related to approximately 1.2 million individual accounts. The data exposed included the names of account holders, their physical addresses, bank account numbers, and in some instances, their tax identification numbers. The ministry clarified that the intruder was able to view specific portions of the national registry rather than the entire system.
Despite the scale of the intrusion, the head of France's Public Finances reassured the public that the breach was limited in its functional scope. The official stated that the database in question does not provide the ability to check current account balances or see transaction histories. Furthermore, the system lacks any mechanism that would allow an external party to conduct financial operations or move funds.
Upon detecting the security lapse, the ministry implemented immediate technical measures to terminate the hacker's access and prevent the extraction of data. A formal criminal complaint has been filed with the authorities to investigate the origin of the attack. Additionally, the French data protection agency, CNIL, has been formally notified of the incident to ensure regulatory oversight of the response.
The government has committed to transparency regarding those whose information was compromised during the incident. All individuals associated with the 1.2 million affected accounts will be contacted and notified by the ministry in the coming days. These notifications will provide specific details to the account holders regarding the nature of the information that was accessed by the hacker.
Source: Hacker Accessed Data From 1.2M Bank Accounts, French Ministry Says