Data of 15.8 Million Patients Hacked in Massive French Health Breach

PARIS: (Web Desk) – France’s Health Ministry has confirmed that administrative and medical data of more than 15 million people were hacked in a major cyberattack carried out in late 2025.

According to the ministry, the breach involved software used by around 1,500 medical practices developed by Cegedim Santé. The stolen data includes 15.8 million administrative files, mainly containing patients’ names, phone numbers and postal addresses.

Officials said that for about 165,000 to 169,000 patients, doctors’ personal notes were also accessed, some of which may contain sensitive information. However, the ministry clarified that no prescriptions or biological test results were compromised.

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French broadcaster France 2 reported that some of the leaked data is already visible online and that senior political figures are among those affected. The channel added that certain records included highly sensitive details, such as information about sexual orientation or serious illnesses.

Cegedim Santé filed a criminal complaint in October 2025 and said it is cooperating fully with authorities while supporting affected doctors and patients.

Cybersecurity expert Gérôme Billois from Wavestone described the breach as potentially the largest in France’s health sector, warning it could have “irreparable consequences” due to the sensitive nature of medical data.

The health data breach follows another recent cyber incident. On February 18, France’s Finance Ministry revealed that a hacker had accessed a national banking database using stolen official credentials, exposing information linked to 1.2 million bank accounts.

Authorities are continuing investigations into both cases.