Security

Massive Data Breach Exposes 1.2 Million Accounts in French Bank Registry

Published

2 hours ago

February 23, 2026

French Bank Registry Data Breach Affects 1.2 Million Accounts

In a recent cybersecurity incident, the French Ministry of Finance revealed that approximately 1.2 million user accounts were impacted by a data breach. The breach involved unauthorized access to the national bank account registry (FICOBA) and the theft of a database containing sensitive information.

According to the investigation, hackers exploited credentials stolen from a civil servant with access to the interministerial information sharing platform in late January. This security breach allowed the threat actor to gain access to a portion of the database containing details of all bank accounts opened in French banking institutions, along with personal information.

The compromised data included bank account details such as RIBs/IBANs, account holder identity, physical addresses, and in some cases, taxpayer identification numbers. The Ministry took immediate action to restrict the hacker’s access to its systems, but it is believed that data from 1.2 million accounts had already been exposed.

FICOBA, managed by the French tax authority DGFiP, serves as a centralized registry of bank accounts in France. The cyberattack disrupted the system’s operations, prompting efforts to restore it with enhanced security measures. However, there is no timeline for when FICOBA will be fully operational again.

Response and Notification

The Ministry assured that individuals affected by the breach would be notified individually in the coming days. French banking institutions have also been informed to raise awareness among their customers about the incident and potential risks.

The Ministry warned of scam attempts through email and SMS aimed at stealing data or money from recipients. Citizens were advised not to respond to such attempts and reminded that the tax administration never requests login credentials or bank card numbers through messages.

The French data protection authority CNIL has been notified about the incident. DGFiP’s IT team, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and ANSSI, is working to enhance system security and restore full operational status.

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