Cyber Incident Victim: Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l'image

On Sunday, August 25, 2024, the Cité internationale de la bande dessinée et de l'image in Angoulême experienced a ransomware attack during early morning hours. The intrusion was detected and interrupted mid-attack by the institution’s Director of Information Systems, preventing widespread infection of its network. Vincent Eches, the organization’s director, promptly notified institutional partners about the incident. While the attack’s full technical scope remains under assessment, initial reports confirmed limited operational disruption due to the rapid containment. No data exfiltration or leaks were identified at this stage, though forensic reviews continue. The institution’s public-facing services—including its museum, library, bookstore, and cinema—remained accessible with temporary alternative measures to minimize visitor impact.

Response protocols included immediate engagement with the French National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI) for investigative support, alongside mandatory breach notifications to the CNIL data protection authority and other relevant authorities. Internal teams prioritized system integrity evaluations, damage assessments, and restoration of full operational capacity. No ransom demands or threat actor affiliations were disclosed in available reports. The incident occurred slightly over a year after similar attacks targeted Angoulême’s municipal government and regional administrative bodies, though no explicit connection between these events was confirmed. Continuous public updates were pledged as recovery progresses, with current operations maintained under contingency protocols pending full system normalization.