A cyber attack large in scale » made work files, business software and communications inaccessible.
On the night of Tuesday April 9 to Wednesday April 10, 2024, the town of Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique) and its surrounding area were victims of a large cyberattack. The computer servers of the two communities are out of service, making access to work files, business software and communications impossible.
Emergency meetings are being held twice a day, and help from a specialized government agency has been requested, but the city is still paralyzed by the ongoing attack, which is reminiscent of the ransomware that had hit the metropolis of Aix-Marseille in 2020.
A hack “ large in scale »
The computer attack had a major impact on the services of the city of Saint-Nazaire and its surrounding area. Computers and telephones are cut off, agents cannot check their emails and many are therefore technically unemployed. “ This attack will have, as we already know, significant consequences », Confides Mayor David Samzun. The consequences are serious for the functioning of municipalities, but also for those administered. Like the France Travail cyberhack, have their personal data been plundered? Will they be used as bargaining chips for hackers for a ransom demand? No confirmation has been made, but no hypothesis has been ruled out.
In addition to Saint-Nazaire, four other municipalities are affected: Montoir-de-Bretagne, Donges, La Chapelle-des-Marais and Pornichet, because they use the same servers. This is also the case for Sonadev (Nazaire territorial planning) and ADDRN (the Agency for the sustainable development of the Nazaire region). Computer experts are hard at work establishing an inventory: how many computers have been compromised, and through which window did the hackers enter, not to mention their identity?
A crisis unit twice a day and reinforcement from ANSSI
Faced with this attack, the city of Saint-Nazaire reacted quickly. “ The agents of the information systems department (DSI) are all mobilized to restore the work tools and the secure network as quickly as possible to allow municipal and community service agents to resume their activity in the best conditions. », declares Saint-Nazaire Agglomération.
A crisis unit, led by the mayor of Saint-Nazaire, meets twice a day, at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., to take stock of the situation.
However, the experts will get reinforcements, because the attack is too powerful. The only certainty to date: the damage will take a long time to repair. Before we see the servers running safely again, “ it will take several months », Fears the mayor. The town hall’s IT services therefore benefit from the support of the National Information Systems Security Agency, ANSSI, the major specialist in this type of attack, currently on alert as the attacks approach. Paris 2024 Olympic Games, also threatened by cyberhacking.
Source : The Computer World
0