France Authorities Arrest Interior Ministry Cyberattack Suspect, Possible 10-Year Prison Sentence
Published
Key Takeaways
- France arrest: French authorities have arrested a 22-year-old suspect in connection with a December cyberattack on France's Ministry of the Interior.
- Prior convictions: The individual is reportedly already known to law enforcement and was previously convicted in 2025 for similar offenses.
- BreachForums connection: The attack coincides with claims on the relaunched BreachForums hacking forum.
French law enforcement has arrested a 22-year-old individual believed to be connected to the recent cyberattack against the Ministry of the Interior (MININT). He was arrested on December 17, 2025, as part of an ongoing investigation. According to prosecutors, the individual has a prior conviction from 2025 for similar offenses.
The suspect faces charges including attacking an automated personal data processing system implemented by the state as part of an organized group, and faces a potential sentence of 10 years in prison.Â
Details of the Ministry of the Interior Data Breach
The French Interior Ministry cyberattack was first detected between December 11 and 12, 2025, as per a statement Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez shared with RTL Radio on Friday. The intrusion compromised internal email systems, allowing attackers to access an unspecified number of files.Â
Nuñez told RTL Radio that the motives could range from foreign interference to cybercrime. While the French official confirmed the breach, the exact nature and volume of any exfiltrated data have not been officially disclosed.
Suspected BreachForums Connection
The timing of the attack aligns with an alleged relaunch of the infamous BreachForums hacking forum. An administrator publicly claimed responsibility for the MININT data breach on the site, framing it as retaliation for previous arrests of forum members.Â
The post claimed the theft of over 16 million records from French police files and invited the government to negotiate. French authorities have not confirmed these allegations or whether the arrested suspect is directly linked to the BreachForums announcement.Â
French Police arrested British cyber kingpin Kai West, also known as IntelBroker, in June as part of an investigation into BreachForums, whose clearnet domain was seized by the FBI in October.
Meanwhile, the German parliament was reportedly hit by an email outage during the U.S.-Ukraine talks amid suspicions of a cyberattack.
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