Hackers launched a cyberattack against France’s Interior Ministry several days ago, Laurent Nuñez confirmed.
The attackers focused on internal email accounts used at the Place Beauvau headquarters.
The ministry employs nearly 300,000 people across the country.
Nuñez publicly confirmed the incident on Wednesday.
He said the breach allowed unauthorized access to sensitive police information.
Officials detected the intrusion after identifying abnormal activity within ministry systems.
The minister spoke about the attack during an interview with the Franceinfo radio outlet.
He said judicial authorities opened an investigation to identify those responsible quickly.
Email Breach Opened Doors to Sensitive Databases
The attackers accessed several professional email inboxes used by ministry staff.
They recovered login credentials that granted broader system access.
Nuñez said the hackers viewed important police databases.
These databases included the Criminal Records Processing System, known as TAJ.
They also accessed the Wanted Persons File, called the FPR.
Authorities still cannot measure the full scale of the breach.
Nuñez said attackers may have removed several dozen files.
Investigators continue to assess what information the hackers copied or viewed.
The minister said he could not confirm damage to ongoing investigations.
He stressed the breach did not endanger public safety.
Officials received no ransom demand from the attackers.
Human Error, False Claims, and the Ongoing Investigation
Nuñez attributed the intrusion to failures in basic security discipline.
He said staff regularly receive reminders about cybersecurity rules.
A few careless actions can undermine even strong security systems, he explained.
The attack unfolded over several days and targeted internal email servers.
Last week, BFMTV reported suspicious activity affecting those systems.
A hacker group later claimed access to data involving more than 16 million people.
The group offered no evidence to support its claim.
Nuñez rejected the allegation and called it false.
The ministry notified the CNIL, France’s data protection authority, as legally required.
Nuñez also ordered an internal administrative investigation.
France’s Anti-Cybercrime Office now leads the criminal investigation into the attack.
