Cyber news regularly confirms this: the attacks never stop and target both companies and administrations. And the damage can be very substantial. In its latest study, IBM estimates the average cost of a hack at 3.75 million euros in France.
For the municipality of Chevilly-Larue (in the 94), the cost will not include the payment of a ransom to the pirates. The city’s communication department considers the attackers’ request for payment to be likely.
Weeks of IT disruption
However, the latter refused to connect to the address communicated by the latter, therefore excluding any payment. The consequences of the attack are very concrete, however. Since the end of July, all IT services have been shut down.
This includes e-mail, but also landline telephony. Result, reports Le Parisien, the town hall can only be reached via temporary addresses and a single mobile number.
As of August 10, municipal services will once again be accessible at City Hall. The complete restoration of IT services will still require time, a few weeks, estimates the municipality.
Sensitive data affected?
A complaint has been filed and an investigation by the judicial police is underway, in conjunction with the National Information Systems Security Agency, Anssi, and a company specializing in cybersecurity.
The attack carried out against Chevilly-Larue would probably have intervened within the framework of a campaign targeting municipalities in the Paris region and accompanied by a pro-Russian message – displayed on the home page of the sites of the affected cities.
Still according to the sources of the Parisian, it is not known at this stage whether sensitive data has been exfiltrated. On the other hand, the perimeter and the extent of the attack, but also the identity of the group of hackers, would be known.