The Department of Sarthe in France faced a cyberattack, as disclosed by President Dominique Le Mèner during the presentation of the 2024 Budget Guidelines Debate on January 24. The cyberattack was attributed to a password leak on the darknet, a situation successfully thwarted by the department’s services. Despite the temporary blocking of the department’s website, President Le Mèner praised the responsiveness of the services in handling the attack, expressing relief that they could learn from the experience. The restoration of normalcy is anticipated by Friday, aligning with the scheduled presentation of the budget guidelines.
President Le Mèner highlighted that the cyberattack, involving a darknet password leak, is not an isolated incident, with similar attacks targeting departmental councils in recent months, including those in Loiret and Seine-Maritime. The recurrence of such attacks on public entities raises concerns about the growing vulnerability of administrative bodies to cyber threats.
The department’s proactive response and emphasis on learning from the situation underscore the evolving challenges faced by governmental organizations in securing their digital infrastructure. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and ensure the uninterrupted functioning of public services.
