Information company AFP notifies French authorities of potential information breach | TechCrunch

Agence France-Presse, one of many world’s largest information organizations, has notified French regulators of a possible information breach following a cyberattack final week.

The AFP, which has an editorial presence in 260 cities throughout 150 nations, mentioned in a brief statement on Saturday that it detected an “assault on its techniques” that affected a part of its information supply service to purchasers.

“AFP’s technical groups are engaged on the incident with the help of the French Nationwide Company for IT Techniques Safety (ANSSI),” the group mentioned. “We’re at the moment working to analyse and cope with this incident.”

The AFP hasn’t posted any additional particulars concerning the incident, nor has it confirmed whether or not any buyer information has been compromised because of the assault. The information company has not responded to TechCrunch’s requests for remark relating to the cybersecurity incident.

The French information safety company, Fee Nationale Informatique & Libertés (CNIL), confirmed to TechCrunch that it has acquired discover of a possible information breach on the AFP.

“I can verify that CNIL had acquired discover from the AFP relating to a possible breach of knowledge,” CNIL spokesperson Yohann Brunet informed TechCrunch in an announcement.

Underneath GDPR, Europe’s information safety legislation, French organizations should notify the CNIL of suspected or potential information breaches inside 72 hours of discovery.

It’s not but recognized what sorts of information might have been accessed or how many individuals have been affected, although some reports declare that consumer credentials for the AFP’s file switch (FTP) servers might have been compromised, permitting entry to some AFP content material. The character of the cyberattack additionally stays unknown and the incident has not but been claimed by any main cybercrime or ransomware group.

For its half, the AFP mentioned in its Saturday assertion that “it isn’t but recognized who carried out this assault or why.”

The AFP says it continues to offer information protection internationally, although elements of the group’s web site remain down on the time of publication.