The city of Marseille as well as the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolis were victims of a "massive and generalized" computer attack, but which will have no consequence on the municipal elections, we learned on Saturday from concordant sources .
Some 300 machines were made inoperative according to the National Information Systems Security Agency (Anssi), on the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolis as well as in Martigues (Bouches-du-Rhône), a source close to investigation. This will not affect the elections, but they are machines that were to create the proxy signing lists. Therefore, these will have to be done by hand, said the source.
A "cyber attack unprecedented in its scale"
The town hall assured for its part that "the municipal elections would take place normally" without wanting to give further details. In a press release, the Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolis headed by Martine Vassal, LR candidate for mayor of Marseille, mentions a "cyber attack unprecedented by its scale". "Despite the extreme precautions taken every day to protect computer equipment and protect against viruses and hacking, this cyber attack, unprecedented in its scale and its strike force, could not be avoided," she explains.
"This attack is based on" ransomware "(ransomware), malicious software that blocks access to a computer or files by encrypting them, while demanding from the victim the payment of a ransom", continues the metropolis. It also specifies that the technical teams are hard at work to make a precise diagnosis of the compromised systems in order to "stop the propagation" of this attack and to "limit the impact".
The community explains working with national security authorities, to "allow the restoration of the computer network as soon as possible". "The backup and recovery systems should help limit the damage and recover most of the data," she says. The investigation was entrusted to the sub-directorate for combating cybercrime of the national police.
- Municipal
- Cyber attack
- Elections
- Marseille