French premier orders emergency team to respond to cyberattacks

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has ordered the creation of an emergency team to respond to cyberattacks targeting France, French broadcaster BFMTV reported Wednesday.

In a letter sent to the secretary-general of the General Secretariat for National Defense and Security, Lecornu called for a more rapid and stronger operational response to cyberattacks targeting the state.

“Attempts at attacks ... against which the National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI) fights on a daily basis, the recurrence of intrusions and data theft are weakening the credibility of the state today,” Lecornu wrote.

“There is an urgent need to design and implement without delay a more reactive and stronger operational response to the cyberattacks that the state is currently facing,” he added.

Lecornu ordered the creation of “a contact team” made up of ANSSI officials that would intervene on the front line in cases of suspected serious attacks on the integrity of state information systems.

He called for the proposal to be prepared urgently, with an initial plan to be presented to him within two days.

“I expect ANSSI’s full commitment to this crisis mission,” Lecornu further said.

The call comes after several French government websites, including the tax administration’s website, were targeted in cyberattacks in recent weeks.