Louvre, Olympic Venue Among 40 Museums Hit By Ransomware Attack: French Police Source

Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Aug, 2024) The Grand Palais, a host of Olympic events in Paris, and some 40 other museums in France including the renowned Louvre, were victims of a ransomware attack at the weekend, police sources told AFP Monday.

Cybercriminals targeted the system used to "centralise financial data" for brands located at the various institutions on Saturday night, the source said.

The attackers had demanded a ransom and threatened to release financial data.

France's national cybersecurity agency ANSSI confirmed that it had been alerted about an "incident", adding that the hacked systems were not involved in the Olympic games.

The Grand Palais, which hosts major art exhibitions but during the Olympics is a venue for fencing and martial arts, confirmed it had been hit by a cyberattack but would not provide details. The Louvre did not respond to requests for comment.

According to the police source, a criminal investigation has been opened into attacks on data systems and for extortion by organised gang.

Ransomware generally involves hacking into computer systems and demanding money in exchange for unblocking them.