A group of French parliamentarians recently raised concerns over what they perceive as an inadequate government response to cyberattacks targeting their computers. They reported receiving virus-infected emails in 2021 that were attributed to a hacker group known as APT31, believed by several countries, including the US and Britain, to be linked to the Chinese government.
According to Olivier Cadic, a centrist member of the French Senate, there is clear evidence of wide-ranging foreign interference by China. The targeted parliamentarians are all members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), an international non-profit organization focused on countering China’s policies viewed as a threat to democratic values.
The French parliamentarians only became aware of the cyberattacks in March of this year, following the indictment of seven Chinese nationals associated with the Chinese government by the US Justice Department. Ex-senator Andre Gattolin, a former co-president of IPAC’s French branch, revealed that he received a “Trojan Horse”-type email in 2021 while working on a sensitive report about foreign interference in universities and research.
Despite Gattolin’s efforts to raise the alarm and request investigations by France’s National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI) and the anti-espionage agency DGSI, he received little to no response. Gattolin even filed a police complaint and sought assistance from the US law enforcement agency FBI, which had already informed French authorities of their suspicions in 2022.
Deputy Anne Genetet expressed her frustration at the lackluster handling of the cyberattacks by French authorities, describing their response as “lightweight.” She questioned why she wasn’t alerted earlier about the security breaches and emphasized the need for more proactive measures to prevent further attacks.
Former senator Gattolin highlighted his concerns about the implications of China’s actions being met with silence and emphasized the potential risks of allowing Chinese spies to infiltrate government offices. Despite government assurances that they are closely monitoring APT31, the parliamentarians feel that more decisive action is required in response to the cyberattacks.
The French parliamentarians’ concerns over cyberattacks linked to China highlight the growing threat of foreign interference in democratic institutions. The delayed discovery of the attacks, the lack of attention from authorities, and the perceived inadequacy of the government’s response underscore the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures and greater vigilance in countering cyber threats posed by state-sponsored hacker groups like APT31. It is imperative that governments collaborate internationally to address these challenges and safeguard the integrity of democratic processes against evolving cyber threats.
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