A major cyberattack that halted package deliveries at France’s national postal service just days before Christmas has been claimed by a pro-Russian hacking group, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Attack Disrupts French Postal Service
Central computer systems at La Poste were knocked offline Monday by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. The disruption prevented postal workers from tracking deliveries and also disrupted online payments at the company’s banking arm. By Wednesday morning the attack was still not fully resolved.
DGSI Takes Charge of Investigation
After the group’s claim, the French intelligence agency DGSI assumed responsibility for the investigation, the Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement to The Associated Press. The agency is now leading the effort to identify the perpetrators and mitigate the damage.
Noname057: A Recurring Threat
The cybercrime group, known as Noname057, has been linked to other attacks across Europe. It is accused of targeting events around a NATO summit in the Netherlands and French government sites. Earlier this year it was the focus of a large European police operation.
Broader Context of Hybrid Warfare
France and other European allies of Ukraine accuse Russia of conducting a campaign of “hybrid warfare” to sow division in Western societies and undermine support for Ukraine. The Associated Press has tracked more than 145 incidents, including sabotage, assassinations, cyberattacks, disinformation and other hostile acts that are increasingly draining police resources.
Key Takeaways
- La Poste’s systems were crippled by a DDoS attack, disrupting deliveries and online payments.
- The attack was claimed by the pro-Russian group Noname057, and DGSI has taken over the investigation.
- The incident fits into a broader pattern of cyber-and-non-cyber attacks linked to Russia’s hybrid warfare strategy.
The disruption of La Poste’s operations, which handled 2.6 billion packages last year and employs more than 200 000 people, underscores the vulnerability of critical infrastructure during the busiest season of the year. The ongoing investigation by DGSI will determine the full extent of the attack and the measures needed to prevent future incidents.
