Cybercrime Cyber attack on around 40 museums in France

The Grand Palais, the venue for the Olympic Games in Paris, and around 40 other museums in France fell victim to a cyber attack at the weekend. This was reported to the AFP news agency by police sources.

According to police sources on Monday evening, criminals attacked the system that enables the "centralization of financial data" of those affected during the night from Saturday to Sunday.

The attackers reportedly demanded a ransom and threatened to pass on the encrypted data.

The French computer security agency (Anssi) confirmed at AFP's request that it had been "informed of the incident". It did not concern "information systems involved in the organization of the Olympic and Paralympic Games", it explained. The Grand Palais exhibition building will host the fencing competitions, among other events.

Louvre not affected

The Grand Palais confirmed that it had been affected by a cyber attack, without giving details. The world-famous Louvre in the center of Paris, which was also affected according to the source, stated that this was not true.

Criminals repeatedly exploit security vulnerabilities of companies or individuals to encrypt and block their computer systems. They then demand a ransom to unlock the systems again.