As a symbol of the expansion of a threat. The International Cybersecurity Forum (FIC) opens its doors Wednesday in Lille, in the North, while the town hall remains affected by a cyberattack. On April 5, 6 and 7, in Lille Grand Palais, the event will bring together experts, specialized companies and "ethical" hackers. About 15,000 visitors are expected to discuss the rise of attacks and ways to respond to them.

Every year, borderless cybercriminals carry out hundreds of millions of digital assaults, from individuals to large corporations and communities. Their modus operandi most often consists of demanding a ransom after locking or stealing data and selling it on the "dark web" (the most inaccessible part of the internet) to the highest bidder. It also consists of convincing their victims, by a phishing email, to click on links to, for example, steal their bank codes.

Ransomware threats up 22%

Lille is not spared by these attacks. Poorly protected organizations, such as communities or hospitals, have become prime targets, especially in France, even if they rarely pay ransoms. On March 1, the city of Lille acknowledged a significant theft of personal data, including from its agents, with ransom demands. Since then, the services of the town hall have had to operate without e-mails.



In Q3 2022, cybersecurity firm Trend Micro detected 4 million ransomware threats, up 22% year-on-year. Awareness is gradually spreading in France, but many organizations have not yet taken sufficient protective measures. This is why the National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI) disseminates turnkey solutions to all, as explained to AFP its new director general Vincent Strubel.

State boycott

As a result, more and more organizations are becoming aware of the importance of investing in cybersecurity. According to Gartner, this market will reach $ 267 billion in 2026 against $ 172 billion in 2022. But the global cost of damage from cyberattacks will reach $10 trillion, according to McKinsey.

In addition, and this is the first time this has happened, the Ministry of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, has cancelled the presence of state services, as well as the visit of ministers to this event. The gendarmerie and the police usually held important stalls there. The reason? The co-organizer of the FIC, the consulting firm Avisa Partners, is accused by some media of dubious influence practices.

  • Society
  • Gerald Darmanin
  • Lille
  • Hauts-de-France
  • Cybersecurity
  • Cyberattack
  • Hacker