This October 10, 2025, a cyberattack still in progress affects 80% of public secondary schools in Hauts-de-France. In a press release, the academy, which has jurisdiction in the matter, speaks of a “cybersecurity incident (that) is currently affecting the information system.”
It is a ransomware called Qilin, in honor of a Chinese mythological creature, although this ransomware could be more of Russian origin. This malware began making headlines in 2022 and saw new momentum last summer, spreading again across many networks.
Internet outage in institutes victims of cyber attack
Initial analyzes reveal that the attack mainly concerns “technical data”, without going into details. Services, academic authorities and technical service providers in the region, aided by Orange cyber defense, are currently working to contain the attack, secure infrastructure and protect data.
In an attempt to stop the attack, measures were taken. In the affected establishments, access to networks and the Internet is “temporarily suspended” while an isolation and cleaning protocol is implemented.
“However, it is not yet possible to indicate a precise timetable for the complete restoration of services,” the statement continues, hoping for a return to normality “as soon as possible.”
This first communication does not specify, however, the data that may have been stolen.
A crisis unit has also been opened to coordinate the response to this cyberattack, but also for the continuity of public service. A complaint was filed, as provided for by law, and the CNIL, the personal data supervisory body, was informed.
This large-scale cyberattack comes a year and a half after ENT was hacked by “password thieves.” 400 establishments in Hauts-de-France were affected by a wave of messages containing terrorist threats.
In Île-de-France, hackers had created a fake site resembling the region’s ENT doctor to recover passwords as part of a vast phishing campaign.
Source: BFM TV
