The disruption of France's national postal service, La Poste, occurred during the critical Christmas period due to a cyberattack attributed to the pro-Russian group Noname057(16). This incident, which took place on Monday, rendered the company’s central computer systems inoperative, causing significant delays in package tracking and online banking services at La Banque Postale. French prosecutors announced the cyberattack on Wednesday, confirming that the investigation has been taken over by the French intelligence agency DGSI.
The attack impacted one of the busiest seasons for La Poste, an organization that employs over 200,000 individuals. Noname057(16) has a history of targeting various entities, including government sites in France, and has previously been involved in international cyber operations. The group was notably part of Operation Eastwood, which led to the dismantling of over 100 servers and resulted in multiple arrests across several countries.
This incident follows a recent cyberattack on France's Interior Ministry, where sensitive documents were compromised. The Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, hinted at possible Russian involvement in these incidents, linking them to broader concerns about foreign interference in national security. Current investigations also include a suspected cyberattack plot related to an international passenger ferry.