French authorities have launched a formal criminal investigation targeting a 15-year-old suspected of infiltrating the nation’s identification database and attempting to auction off personal information belonging to millions of citizens through underground online marketplaces.
Paris prosecutors announced Thursday that the minor was taken into custody on April 25 for questioning after investigators connected him to the online handle “breach3d.” This cybercriminal had advertised between 12 and 18 million stolen data records on hacker forums, according to the prosecutor’s statement.
Under French law, illegally accessing and stealing government-managed information can result in up to seven years imprisonment and fines reaching 300,000 euros, equivalent to approximately $350,000.
ANTS, the government agency responsible for maintaining French citizens’ sensitive data including identification cards, passports, driver’s licenses, and vehicle registrations, verified that the compromised information being sold was genuine. The agency reported discovering “unusual activity” within its computer systems on April 13.
This same organization also operates France’s age-verification system designed to block children under 15 from accessing social media platforms.
Nine days following the security breach, on April 22, ANTS notified millions of French residents via email about the cyber incident. The agency warned citizens to exercise heightened vigilance regarding suspicious phone calls or emails and emphasized never sharing personal details with unknown contacts.
While ANTS stated that appropriate security measures had been implemented, officials did not elaborate on the specific actions taken to address the vulnerability.
The security incident has sparked debate throughout France regarding the risks associated with consolidating all citizen information within a single centralized government database system.
