French Tax Agency Data Breach Exposes 678K Users' Info

A hacker identified as Zerobytes has stolen data from 678,438 contributors of the General Directorate of Public Finances' (DGFiP) site in France. The breach involved taxpayer data, including addresses and real estate information, which is now being sold for a few thousand euros. The DGFiP acknowledged that the attack occurred on June 12 and confirmed that access controls failed to detect the data theft due to the sophistication of the attack.

The institution claims that it immediately interrupted access to all accounts used in the identified incidents but admits that new security measures were not implemented until after the breach. The DGFiP will contact each individual directly next week with information on the stolen data and steps to take for vigilance. This leak has sparked concerns among French crypto holders, who fear it could fuel more 'wrench attacks'.

Alexandre Stachtchenko, Head of Strategy & Communications at Bitstack, has called for a moratorium on personal data collection by state institutions until they can ensure its safety. He emphasized that France has put taxpayers in danger and encouraged others to demand the same action from their deputies.