Security News

France Launches Rapid-Response Cyber Unit for Government Agencies

Infosecurity Magazine · 9 Sept 2026

Key Takeaway Even government agencies are rethinking how fast they can mobilise after a breach, so Australian SMBs should have a clear, pre-agreed incident response plan ready before an attack happens, not after.

France's national cybersecurity agency, ANSSI, has established a new incident response unit named REACTIV (Interministerial Response & Action against Data Breaches). The unit is designed to let ANSSI immediately mobilise the skills and resources needed to support affected government ministries when a cyber incident occurs, rather than relying on slower, ad hoc coordination.

According to ANSSI, REACTIV grants the agency two new powers, though full details of its authority, staffing, and funding have not yet been made public. This lack of clarity has led some observers to question whether the unit will have enough resources to meet its stated ambitions.

The move follows a major cyberattack on France's tax authority, the Directorate-General for Public Finance (DGFiP), which exposed personal data belonging to between 350,000 and 678,000 taxpayers. The breach prompted the French Prime Minister to order a thorough audit of ANSSI and push for a dedicated response capability. Two suspects, aged 16 and 18 and allegedly linked to a group called ZeroBytes, were arrested in connection with the hack.

incident response government cybersecurity data breach France ANSSI

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