Cyberattacks Hit French Government Sites Amid Backlash Over Telegram Founder’s Arrest

• Cyberattacks on French government sites are linked to backlash over Telegram founder’s arrest.
• Durov’s detention raises concerns about software and communication freedoms in Europe.

As per yesterday’s CNF post, the Russian-born billionaire founder and owner of Telegram, Pavel Durov, was arrested at Le Bourget airport late Saturday (August 24). Following this, several French government websites, including those of the Administrative Court of Paris and the French Health Department, went offline due to a DDoS attack.

Entropia Intel confirmed in a recent tweet that cyberattacks targeted multiple French websites, allegedly linked to pro-Russian hackers, following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France.

• Cyberattacks target multiple French websites, linked to pro-Russian hackers following the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France – [EI] pic.twitter.com/OeQ6jhLfT0

— Entropia Intel (@EntropiaIntel) August 26, 2024

The attack is believed to be connected to a Russian hacker group and may be a response to Durov’s arrest on August 24. However, Durov has not been formally charged with any crime and is being held until August 28 for questioning regarding alleged illegal activities by an unnamed individual on Telegram.

This situation has sparked concerns about potential impacts on software and communication freedoms in Europe. As of now, according to CoinMarketCap data, Toncoin (TON) is trading at $5.38, having declined by 5.66% in the past day and 21.70% in the past week. See the TON price chart below.