A suspected cyber-attack has severely disrupted the online services of France's national postal service, La Poste, and its banking arm just three days before Christmas, causing significant delays to parcel deliveries and hampering financial transactions.
Services Crippled by Digital Onslaught
La Poste confirmed on Monday that a distributed denial of service (DDoS) incident had rendered its websites and mobile applications inaccessible. The attack has had a direct impact on the postal network, slowing the distribution of mail and parcels during the busiest period of the year. The service typically sorts and delivers more than two million items in the immediate run-up to Christmas.
French media reported that customers attempting to send last-minute gifts or collect items from post offices were being turned away due to the system failures. The group's banking service, La Banque Postale, stated on social media that the incident was "affecting access to online banking and to the mobile app."
Banking Operations Forced to Adapt
While card payments at physical terminals and ATM cash withdrawals remained functional, the bank confirmed that online payments required additional authentication via text message. "Our teams are mobilised to resolve the situation quickly," the bank assured customers. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the suspected attack.
In a separate but related IT incident, the BPCE banking group, which includes Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Épargne, experienced a malfunction on Monday morning. This issue was reportedly resolved by midday.
Wider Context of French Cyber Threats
This attack on a critical national service follows a significant cyber-attack on the French government just one week prior, which disrupted the interior ministry. A 22-year-old suspect was detained in connection with that breach, which interior minister Laurent Nuñez said involved the extraction of dozens of sensitive police files.
Furthermore, prosecutors revealed last week that France's counterespionage agency is investigating a suspected plot involving software designed to remotely control the computer systems of an international passenger ferry. A Latvian crew member is in custody, accused of acting for an unidentified foreign power.
These incidents occur amidst allegations from France and other European allies that Russia is waging a campaign of "hybrid warfare" against them, incorporating disruptive cyber-attacks. The targeting of La Poste underscores the vulnerability of essential public and commercial infrastructure during peak operational periods.
