French authorities arrested a 22-year-old suspect on Tuesday for a cyberattack that targeted France's Ministry of the Interior earlier this month.
In a statement issued by Public Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, officials said the suspected hacker was arrested on December 17, 2025, as part of an investigation into the attack.
"A person was arrested on December 17, 2025, as part of the investigation opened by the cybercrime unit of the Paris public prosecutor's office, on charges including unauthorized access to an automated personal data processing system implemented by the State, committed by an organized group, following the cyberattack against the Ministry of the Interior," reads the statement translated into English.
The suspect is accused of unauthorized access to an automated personal data processing system and conducted as part of an organized group. This offense carries a maximum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment.
Prosecutors said the suspect, born in 2003, is already known to the public prosecutor's office and was convicted in 2025 for similar offenses. Investigations are being carried out by OFAC, France's Office for Combating Cybercrime, and authorities said a further statement will be issued at the end of the police custody period, which can last up to 48 hours.
BleepingComputer contacted the public prosecutor's office with questions regarding the prior convictions, but was told they are not disclosing this information.
The arrest follows a Friday announcement by French officials that the Ministry of the Interior was breached in a cyberattack that compromised its internal email servers.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the intrusion was detected overnight between Thursday, December 11, and Friday, December 12, and allowed attackers to gain access to some document files. Officials have not confirmed whether any data was stolen during the attack.
"There was indeed a cyberattack. An attacker was able to access a number of files. So we implemented the usual protection procedures," Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said in a statement shared with RTL Radio.
"It could be foreign interference, it could be people who want to challenge the authorities and show that they are capable of accessing systems, and it could also be cybercrime. At this point, we don't know what it is."
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