The prestigious opera house in the American arts and culture megalopolis said its "network problems" began on Thursday.

Concretely, the scheduled performances will take place but orders for new tickets, exchanges and refunds are not possible for the moment, according to the Met Opera.

The institution in an upscale neighborhood in northern Manhattan gave no explanation of the nature of the computer attack and did not respond to requests from AFP.

The specialized media OperaWire, citing a letter from the general manager of the Met Opera Peter Gelb to members of the institution, specifies that an investigation is underway.

For years, computer attacks have targeted businesses, private and public institutions, and government departments in the United States and many foreign countries.

The latest incident in France, the Versailles hospital near Paris has been targeted since December 3 by a cyberattack which forced it to transfer several patients.

The House of Representatives of Congress in Washington passed a national defense law on Thursday, with a component of tens of millions of dollars to boost cybersecurity.

© 2022 AFP