Even experts not immune: cyber attack on Orange Group highlights need for strengthened cybersecurity

Orange Group, a leading French telecom operator, was recently the victim of a cyber attack in which thousands of internal documents were stolen. The hacker, known as “Rey” and a member of the HellCat ransomware group, claims to have accessed Orange’s systems for more than a month. During this time, he exfiltrated about 6.5 GB of data, including 380,000 unique e-mail addresses, source codes, invoices, contracts and customer and employee information.

The attack targeted a non-critical back-office application of Orange’s Romanian branch and did not affect customers’ operational activities, according to the company. Nevertheless, this event highlights that even organizations with extensive cybersecurity expertise can be vulnerable to such attacks. This underscores the urgent need for other organizations, especially those with fewer resources and expertise, to strengthen their cybersecurity measures and remain constantly vigilant.

Orange took immediate action and is working with relevant authorities to mitigate the impact of the incident. The company has stated that its highest priority is to protect the data and interests of their employees, customers and partners.

This attack follows shortly after an earlier security incident at Orange Spain, demonstrating that telecom organizations remain an attractive target for cybercriminals. The incident serves as a warning to all organizations to proactively evaluate and strengthen their security protocols, regardless of their size or expertise.