Ethical Hacking News
French telecom giant Orange discloses cyberattack, citing potential data breach due to isolated system compromise; incident bears resemblance to worldwide breaches linked to China's Salt Typhoon group.
Orange S.A. detected a breached system on its network on July 25.The breach was isolated from the rest of the network, but caused operational disruptions primarily affecting French customers.No evidence suggests that any data was stolen during the breach.The incident bears resemblance to a series of widespread breaches linked to China's Salt Typhoon cyber-espionage group.Telecom providers are urged to maintain robust cybersecurity measures, including regular network monitoring and employee training on cybersecurity best practices.International cooperation is essential in responding to global cybersecurity threats.
In a recent disclosure, French telecom giant Orange S.A. has confirmed that it detected a breached system on its network on Friday, July 25. According to the company, the compromised system was discovered and isolated from the rest of the network by Orange Cyberdefense, the company's cybersecurity business unit, shortly after the breach was noticed. This led to some operational disruptions primarily affecting French customers, which are expected to be gradually resolved by Wednesday morning, July 30.
The incident was reported by Sergiu Gatlan, a news reporter who has covered the latest cybersecurity and technology developments for over a decade. The details of the incident were shared with the public through an official statement released by Orange S.A., in which the company acknowledged the breach and stated that its investigation team had yet to find evidence that any data was stolen during the breach.
"At this stage of the investigation, there is no evidence to suggest that any customer or Orange data has been extracted. We remain vigilant in this regard," the company added.
The incident bears resemblance to a series of widespread breaches of telecom providers in the United States and worldwide that have been linked to China's Salt Typhoon cyber-espionage group. The FBI and CISA confirmed in October that the Chinese Salt Typhoon state hackers had breached multiple telecom providers (including AT&T, Verizon, Lumen, Charter Communications, Consolidated Communications, and Windstream), as well as other telecom companies in dozens of other countries.
Last month, Comcast and Digital Realty were also tagged as potentially compromised by Salt Typhoon, with satellite communications company Viasat revealing weeks later that it had also been breached as part of the same attacks. In February, Orange's Romanian branch was hit by another cyberattack, with the company confirming the breach of a non-critical application after a threat actor using the alias 'Rey' claimed to have stolen thousands of internal documents containing employee data, user records, source code, invoices, contracts, and 380,000 email addresses.
Orange provides consumer communication services and business services to 294 million customers across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including 256 million mobile and 22 million fixed broadband customers. Orange also provides IT and telecommunications services to multinational companies under the brand Orange Business, has 125,800 employees worldwide, and reported revenues of €40.3 billion in 2024.
The incident highlights the ongoing threats posed by cyberattacks against telecom providers, which can have significant impacts on both customer data and operational continuity. It also underscores the importance of vigilance in identifying potential breaches and responding swiftly to contain any damage.
In light of this incident, cybersecurity experts are urging telecom providers to remain vigilant and proactive in their efforts to protect themselves against such threats. "This incident serves as a reminder that no organization is completely immune to cyberattacks," said an expert. "Telecom providers, in particular, are high-profile targets due to the sensitive nature of their operations and the vast amounts of customer data they handle."
Orange's experience with this recent breach highlights the need for telecom providers to maintain robust cybersecurity measures, including regular network monitoring, patch management, and employee training on cybersecurity best practices.
The incident also sheds light on the complexities surrounding global cybersecurity incidents. While Orange has not attributed the cyberattack to a specific hacking group or threat actor, the incident bears resemblance to a series of widespread breaches linked to China's Salt Typhoon group.
As such, it is essential for telecom providers and cybersecurity experts to remain vigilant in monitoring potential threats from this group and other cyber-espionage actors. "This incident underscores the importance of international cooperation in responding to global cybersecurity threats," said an expert. "By sharing information and best practices, we can enhance our collective defenses against these types of threats."
The Orange S.A. breach serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat landscape facing telecom providers and the need for continued vigilance in protecting customer data and operational continuity.
In conclusion, this incident highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity measures and international cooperation in responding to global cybersecurity threats. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, it is essential for telecom providers and cybersecurity experts to remain vigilant and proactive in their efforts to protect themselves against such threats.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Cybersecurity-Alert-French-Telecom-Giant-Orange-Discovers-Breached-System-on-Its-Network-ehn.shtml
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/french-telecommunications-giant-orange-discloses-cyberattack/
Published: Tue Jul 29 09:55:28 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
