Tax hacking: Minister David Amiel offers his "apologies" to the 700,000 affected users

Minister of Public Action and Accounts David Amiel offered his apologies on Tuesday, August 18, to the approximately 700,000 individuals and businesses affected by the data breach at the Directorate General of Public Finances. He promised greater transparency and strengthened cybersecurity within the administration.

“These are serious matters,” acknowledged David Amiel during a press briefing held at Bercy. The minister assured that he understood the anger of users affected by this cyberattack, claimed on August 12, and stressed the need to avoid trivializing leaks of sensitive data. “What happened is intolerable for the French people,” he declared, highlighting three principles for the government's response: “transparency, consideration, and firmness.”

A third leak confirmed

David Amiel also acknowledged that the state's IT systems had "weaknesses" and announced several measures, including accelerating two-factor authentication for employees and strengthening their cybersecurity training. According to ANSSI, the perpetrators of the attack used compromised accounts to bypass security measures and belong to a predominantly French-speaking cybercriminal network.

The Director General of the French Public Finances Directorate (DGFiP), Amélie Verdier, also confirmed the existence of a third data breach concerning unclaimed estates, while assuring that it was much more limited in scope. The DGFiP had already reported two intrusions that occurred at the end of June and July, affecting at least 678,000 individuals and professionals, as well as approximately 200,000 accounts in land registry databases. The Paris Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation, notably for "fraudulent data extraction" and "criminal conspiracy."