France Orders Audit After Massive Tax Data Leak

France is grappling with a significant data breach that has compromised the personal information of an estimated 678,000 users of the tax authorities. The massive leak, which occurred between late June and the end of July, has prompted swift action from the government.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has ordered an in-depth audit by the national cybersecurity agency, Anssi, to determine the exact circumstances and causes of the incident affecting the Directorate General of Public Finance (DGFiP). This audit will complement an ongoing judicial investigation.

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The Prime Minister has asked Anssi (the public agency responsible for cybersecurity) to conduct an in-depth audit to establish precisely the circumstances and causes of the incident that affected the Directorate General of Public Finance (DGFiP), in addition to the ongoing judicial investigation.

Adding to the concern, hackers claiming responsibility for the attack, identified as ZeroBytes, announced on Monday that they have already sold the stolen data to unknown buyers for thousands of euros. The compromised information includes names, reference tax income, family quotient, and source tax rates for individuals. Data concerning professionals is described as "less sensitive."

In response, the government is also accelerating the implementation of a state information systems security plan announced in April. A large-scale mailing campaign has been initiated to notify the affected 678,000 individuals and professionals, warning them of potential targeted scams. The administration aims to mitigate the damage and prevent further exploitation of the leaked data.

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The files have already been sold to 'two people' for a sum in the 'thousands of euros'.