Thought Leadership
The French IT services group Atos may be facing a serious security situation. The ransomware group Space Bears claims to have gained access to one of the company’s databases. Atos immediately launched an investigation.
According to the technology group, it has not yet detected any signs of successful system compromises. There have also been no suspicious activities at its subsidiary Eviden. According to the company, it has also not received any ransom demands.
Aggressive newcomer group
Space Bears first made a name for itself in early 2024 and has since become one of the more active ransomware groups. The group relies on the now customary double extortion: in addition to encrypting systems, it also threatens to publish captured data if a ransom is not paid.
“We take such allegations very seriously,” said an Atos spokesperson. “Our cybersecurity teams are working at full speed to analyze the situation.” The company announced that it would inform the public as soon as new findings were available.
The cybercriminals’ allegations became public on December 28, 2024. Atos reacted promptly and published an initial statement on the situation just one day later. So far, it is not clear whether there was actually no successful attack, nor is there any tangible evidence of a successful compromise.
With over 110,000 employees, Atos is one of the largest IT service providers in Europe and manages numerous critical infrastructures. A successful attack could therefore have far-reaching consequences.
