The French government has publicly accused Russia’s military intelligence agency, GRU, of conducting a series of cyberattacks against French institutions since 2021. According to France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the operations have been carried out by the notorious hacker group APT28, also known as Fancy Bear.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced on Tuesday that at least ten French entities have been targeted, including government agencies, defense contractors, financial institutions, and even organizations linked to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
APT28 is classified as an Advanced Persistent Threat and has been the subject of international sanctions for its attempts to manipulate public opinion and destabilize democratic institutions. The group was previously linked to attacks on Emmanuel Macron’s campaign headquarters in 2017 and the TV5Monde television network in 2015.
The French cybersecurity agency ANSSI released a detailed report outlining the scope and methods of these attacks between 2021 and 2024. The findings indicate a sharp rise in Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics, prompting France to increase public awareness through official channels.
In 2017, APT28 was also responsible for the so-called MacronLeaks, an effort to influence the French presidential election by leaking thousands of campaign documents. Despite the attack, Macron won the presidency.
APT28 has also been implicated in interfering with the 2016 U.S. elections, leaking emails from the Democratic Party to support Donald Trump’s campaign.
France’s exposure of these threats signals a broader European concern about escalating cyber warfare ahead of critical democratic events.
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