PARIS (AP) – In a severe disruption just three days before Christmas, France’s national postal service, La Poste, experienced a cyberattack on Monday that rendered its online systems inaccessible. The attack blocked and delayed package deliveries and online payment transactions, causing chaos during one of the busiest times of the year for postal services.
The timing of the cyberattack was particularly unfortunate for millions of people relying on prompt delivery of holiday packages. Postal workers at La Poste faced frustration from customers eager to receive their orders. Although no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack, speculation ran high, with some workers in southern Paris suggesting potential links to Russia or even disgruntled customers or employees.
Paris prosecutors have opened an investigation into the matter, but no comments have been made regarding the identity of the perpetrators. The incident, described by La Poste as a “major network incident,” continued to impact operations more than eight hours after it was first reported, reflecting the scale of the disruption for a company that processed 2.6 billion packages in the prior year and employs over 200,000 individuals.
La Poste confirmed that the incident was a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, which prevents users from accessing online services. The postal service assured customers that their personal data remained secure, but the disruption severely affected package delivery operations. While traditional mail services, including greeting cards, continued without interruption, transactions that relied on tracking or access to internal systems were severely hampered.
The cyberattack also affected banking services. Customers of La Banque Postale, the banking arm of La Poste, found themselves unable to use the application to authorize payments or conduct other banking tasks. In response, the bank redirected payment approvals to text messages to bypass the online disruptions. A message from the bank stated that their teams were actively working to resolve the technical difficulties.
This incident follows another significant cyberattack that occurred a week earlier, targeting France’s Interior Ministry, which oversees national security. In connection with that attack, sensitive files were allegedly extracted, including police records and information about wanted persons. The Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, attributed the breach to negligence and reported the detention of a 22-year-old suspect.
Moreover, prosecutors recently indicated that France’s counterespionage agency is investigating a suspected cyberattack plot involving software that could allow remote control of passenger ferry computer systems. A Latvian crew member has been arrested under suspicion of acting on behalf of an unidentified foreign power.
France and other European nations allied with Ukraine have accused Russia of conducting a campaign of “hybrid warfare,” which encompasses acts of sabotage, assassinations, cyberattacks, disinformation, and other hostile activities that are often difficult to trace back to the Kremlin. This sustained cyber threat underscores the heightened security concerns in a region facing increasing geopolitical tensions.
The combination of cyberattacks targeting critical services during peak demand periods highlights the vulnerabilities many countries face in their infrastructure. As investigations continue, the implications of such attacks on national security and public confidence in essential services will be closely monitored.
