French Soccer Federation Discloses Data Theft Cyberattack

The French Soccer Federation, known as the FFF, disclosed on Thursday that it had fallen victim to a cyberattack, resulting in the theft of personal data belonging to its members. The breach targeted administrative software used by licensed football clubs across France to manage player registrations and other tasks, potentially affecting millions of amateur athletes.

The federation detected the unauthorized access on November 20 through a compromised account, according to its official statement. FFF officials acted swiftly upon discovery, disabling the affected account and resetting passwords for all users to secure the platform and prevent further intrusion. The organization described the incident as a "cybermalicious act and data theft," emphasizing that the issue had been resolved following these measures.

In response, the FFF filed a formal complaint with French authorities and notified the National Agency for the Security of Information Systems, or ANSSI, as well as the National Commission for Informatics and Liberties, or CNIL, which oversees data protection. The federation plans to contact every individual whose email address appeared in the compromised database to alert...