Cyber Incident Victim: Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle
Date:
Jul 2025
Location:
France
Summary
A cyberattack targeted the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, disrupting access to extensive databases that hundreds of researchers rely on for their work. The incident compromised the museum's information technology systems, hindering research activities across French scientific institutions that depend on the institution's data resources. As a major research center located in Paris, the museum's disruption has affected collaborative projects and data‑driven studies in various disciplines.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 0 motives | 0 techniques |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On Thursday, July 31, 2025, the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris was subjected to a cyberattack, as reported by La Tribune journalist Bogdan Bodnar. The article was published at 18:24 and subsequently updated at 18:30 on the same day. The museum, situated in the 5th arrondissement near the Jardin des Plantes, functions both as a public exhibition space and as a research institution consulted by hundreds of scholars. According to the report, the attack compromised the museum's computer systems, specifically affecting access to extensive databases used by those researchers. The disruption prevented researchers from retrieving data that is essential for ongoing scientific work. No further details about the nature of the malware or the attackers were disclosed in the article.
The incident is described as having affected the availability of vast databases that support a wide range of scientific disciplines housed within the museum. Because the museum serves as a key resource for the French research community, the interruption had immediate consequences for scholars relying on its digital collections. The source does not specify any mitigation steps taken by the museum's IT staff or any timeline for restoration of services. Likewise, the article does not mention whether any data was exfiltrated, altered, or lost as a result of the breach. The report concludes by noting that the cyberattack underscores the vulnerability of major cultural and research institutions to digital threats. This ends the narrative based solely on the information provided in the source.