Agence France-Presse (AFP), the world’s oldest news organization, fell victim to a cyberattack on its IT systems on Friday, September 27. The attack, which was confirmed by the news agency's Paris headquarters, targeted the agency’s internal technology infrastructure. While some customer services have been affected by the breach, AFP assures the public that global news coverage has not been impacted.

AFP’s IT team is currently collaborating with France’s cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, to contain and mitigate the damage. French authorities have also been notified and are conducting an investigation into the incident to determine the specifics of the breach. However, AFP has acknowledged that it remains unclear who was behind the attack and what their motives were.

Based in Paris, AFP employs more than 2,400 staff and operates in 150 countries, delivering news in multiple languages, including French, English, Spanish, Arabic, and Portuguese. This attack comes amid a wave of high-profile cyber incidents in France, including a series of strikes on government ministries earlier this year. That particular attack was attributed to pro-Russian hackers, although French officials did not confirm the link. The French government has expressed concern over Russia's increasing attempts to destabilize the region, especially following the onset of the Ukraine conflict.