France sees surge in personal data breaches

A recent cybersecurity barometer conducted by Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr in partnership with Ipsos Digital reveals a significant rise in personal data breaches among the French population. In 2026, 45% of French citizens reported being notified of a personal data leak, marking a 15-point increase from 30% the previous year.

These breaches often involve information held by third-party organizations, such as names, addresses, emails, and phone numbers. Such data is frequently used by cybercriminals to facilitate more convincing and personalized scams. Phishing via email or SMS remains the most prevalent threat, affecting 53% of the population, while fraudulent bank advisor scams impact 15% of those surveyed.