The AFP news agency has experienced a cyberattack that interrupted its content delivery systems. While investigations are currently underway, AFP is continuing its news coverage and has urged its partners to enhance security measures and safeguard their credentials to minimize risks.
On September 27, Agence France-Presse (AFP), a prominent global news agency, fell victim to a cyberattack that affected its news distribution infrastructure. The incident disrupted the agency’s capability to deliver content to certain clients, yet AFP has confirmed that its core news-gathering operations were unaffected and continue seamlessly.
The Cyberattack and Immediate Response
This cyberattack specifically targeted AFP’s IT infrastructure, impacting essential systems employed for content distribution, which include content delivery networks (CDNs) and file transfer services. While the precise nature of the attack and the identity of the attackers remain unknown, AFP is actively working to restore full operational capabilities.
In response to the situation, AFP has enlisted the assistance of ANSSI, the French National Cybersecurity Agency, to help mitigate the impact and secure their systems. Additionally, AFP’s technical team has identified that FTP credentials used by some clients may have been compromised during this breach. Consequently, the agency has issued alerts encouraging its partners to update their FTP passwords and bolster the security of their receiving systems.
Global News Coverage Remains Unaffected
Despite the technical disruptions caused by the cyberattack, AFP has emphasized that its editorial operations are continuing without interruption. The agency’s newsroom is actively reporting on global events in multiple languages—including French, English, Arabic, and Spanish—ensuring uninterrupted news dissemination. Significantly, the incident has primarily affected backend operations for distribution, rather than the actual news production process itself.
At this point, no group has claimed responsibility for the incident. However, France has seen a series of serious cyberattacks throughout 2024, targeting various sectors from healthcare to government services. The attack on AFP raises further alarms about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in France, particularly within sensitive sectors like the media.
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