Lionel Gougelot, edited by Laura Laplaud 08:59, March 02, 2023

Since Wednesday, the central town hall of Lille has been largely paralyzed by a cyberattack.

Telephone lines are cut, computers and servers shut down.

The only positive point for Lille residents is that the zoos, museums and municipal swimming pools are freely accessible, due to the lack of available tickets.

Since Wednesday, all the computers of the central town hall of Lille have been turned off following an intrusion into the computer systems.

A security measure put in place by the city which also filed a complaint.

The city's public services continue to operate, but at a slower pace.

A cyberattack that does not only make people unhappy: for lack of computerized ticketing, certain public services such as zoos, museums and swimming pools are freely accessible.

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"At the moment, it's nice"

Upon arriving at the cash desk of the municipal swimming pool, customers were pleasantly surprised to enter for free.

"We did not understand that it was a cyberattack. They did not tell us, they just told us that the computers were HS. A few euros here and there, we take", launches this Lille at the microphone of Europe 1. "If it's a cyberattack, it's going to be complicated for the town hall. We'll see how it's going to end but at the moment, it's nice," continues another.

For the time being, it is impossible to determine the extent of the intrusion into the systems.

A security has been triggered to protect the data of the town hall.

The main thing, according to Audrey Linkenheld, first deputy mayor, is to guarantee public services as much as possible without using computers.

"However, we know how to welcome children in nurseries, in schools... We obviously continue to carry out our sovereign missions, in particular civil status. All of this is still possible. It's more disturbing for our municipal agents than for the user and so much the better!"

What explanation?

Why such an attack on the town hall of Lille?

It remains a mystery.

No ransom message was received.

The cyber-investigators of the judicial police of Lille will continue their meticulous work of analysis and research this Thursday.

The telephone lines making it possible to reach these services should be restored this Thursday, assures the town hall.