French museum network hit by ransomware attack

A ransomware attack has targeted the central data systems of Paris’ Grand Palais and other museums in the Reunion des Musees Nationaux network, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

Some venues in the network are hosting competitions for the Summer Olympics.

The attack, detected on Sunday, hit data systems used by around 40 museums across France.

Paris authorities and the Grand Palais-RMN network said there has been no disruption to the Olympic events.

“To date, no data extraction has been detected,” the Grand Palais-RMN said in a statement, adding its technical teams are “fully mobilised” to fix the incident “as best as possible”.

The Grand Palais is hosting fencing and taekwondo competitions, while the Chateau de Versailles, also part of the RMN network, is the venue for equestrian sports and the modern pentathlon.

The Paris prosecutor’s office has assigned the investigation to a subdivision, the Brigade for Combating Cybercrime, to determine the extent and perpetrators of the attack.

Efforts are ongoing to secure and restore the affected systems.