Agence France-Presse (AFP), a leading global news agency, has alerted French authorities about a possible data breach after experiencing a cyberattack last week.
In a brief announcement on Saturday, AFP, which operates in 260 cities across 150 countries, stated that the attack impacted part of its news delivery services to clients. While the full scope of the breach remains unclear, the agency confirmed that their technical teams are actively working to address the incident in collaboration with the French National Agency for IT Systems Security (ANSSI).
AFP’s statement reads, “Our technical teams, alongside experts from ANSSI, are working to analyze and manage the situation.” However, the organization has not provided further details on the extent of the breach or confirmed whether any sensitive customer data has been compromised. Requests for additional information from AFP have so far gone unanswered.
The French data protection authority, the Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL), has confirmed that AFP reported the incident, as required under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). According to the GDPR, organizations across Europe must notify relevant authorities within 72 hours of identifying any potential data breaches.
CNIL spokesperson Yohann Brunet confirmed in a statement, “We have received a notice from AFP regarding a possible data breach, and we are monitoring the situation closely.”
At this stage, it is still unknown what kind of data may have been accessed or how many individuals or organizations could be affected. Some reports suggest that user credentials for AFP’s file transfer protocol (FTP) servers may have been compromised, allowing unauthorized access to specific content. However, the specifics of the cyberattack, including whether it has been claimed by any cybercriminal or ransomware group, remain unclear.
AFP acknowledged that they are uncertain about the motive or identity of those behind the attack. In their statement on Saturday, the organization said, “At this time, we do not know who was responsible for the attack or the reasons behind it.”
Despite the ongoing disruption, AFP continues its news coverage across the globe. However, parts of its website and certain services remain offline as the agency works to resolve the incident. The investigation is ongoing, and further updates are expected as the situation develops.
