France Travail, formerly known as Pôle Emploi, alerts the public to a significant breach in their systems, potentially exposing the personal information of 43 million individuals. The agency, responsible for assisting job seekers in France, acknowledges the breach occurred between February 6 and March 5, with hackers obtaining details of job seekers registered within the past two decades. Information including names, birthdates, social security numbers, and contact details was compromised, raising concerns about identity theft and phishing attempts targeting affected individuals.
The breach, reported to the National Commission of Informatique and Liberties (CNIL), marks one of France’s largest cyber incidents, surpassing previous breaches impacting millions of individuals. Although France Travail assures that bank details and passwords remain secure, the leaked data could facilitate identity theft and other fraudulent activities. Consequently, the agency advises affected individuals to exercise caution regarding emails, phone calls, and SMS messages, urging heightened vigilance in monitoring communications for signs of potential scams or phishing attempts.
Affected individuals will receive notifications from France Travail regarding the data breach, and they are encouraged to file complaints with the Paris prosecutor’s office to aid in the investigation. This latest incident follows a previous data breach in August, indirectly linked to the Clop ransomware group exploiting vulnerabilities in software tools. The magnitude of this breach underscores the persistent threat posed by cyberattacks and highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard sensitive personal information in the digital age.
