French museum network hit by ransomware attack, but no disruptions reported at Olympic events

A ransomware attack targeted the central data systems of the Grand Palais and other museums in the Réunion des musées nationaux network, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Tuesday. Some sites in the network host competitions for the Summer Olympics.

The attack, detected on Sunday, affected the data systems of around forty museums across France. The Paris prefecture and the Grand Palais-RMN network indicated that no disruption had been observed in the running of the Olympic events.

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

The Grand Palais hosts fencing and taekwondo competitions, while the Château de Versailles, also a member of the RMN network, hosts equestrian sports and the modern pentathlon.

The Paris prosecutor’s office has entrusted the investigation to the Cybercrime Brigade, in order to determine the extent and perpetrators of the attack. Efforts are underway to secure and restore the affected systems.