France: cyberattack on INSEE; data of 12,800 employees compromised

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - A cyberattack on the French National Institute of Statistics (INSEE) has resulted in the breach of personal data belonging to 12,800 people who work or have worked at the institute. The breach was detected on 19 June and involved identity details and professional contact information, INSEE announced, but did not include sensitive data such as passwords, bank details and social security numbers.

The investigation launched following the attack "has not revealed any compromise of the data collected by INSEE from businesses or private individuals". The institute has, however, advised businesses and members of the public to exercise “utmost caution” in the event of messages apparently sent by INSEE officials and has warned against any requests for money in connection with subscriptions to services.

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