Data breach at French Urssaf Pajemploi service exposes datan of 1.2 million childcare workers
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The French social charges organization Urssaf is reporting a data breach affecting its Pajemploi service, a platform used by parents to declare and remunerate childminders and home-based childcare providers.
The cyberattack was detected on November 14, 2024, and publicly reported on November 17, 2024, potentially exposed the sensitive personal information of up to 1.2 million employees of private employers who utilize the Pajemploi service.
Compromised data includes.
- Names and first names
- Dates and places of birth
- Postal addresses
- Social Security numbers
- Bank establishment names
- Pajemploi identification numbers
- Professional approval numbers (numéros d'agrément)
The nature of the attack is not disclosed. The breach does not appear to have affected the core operational functionality of the Pajemploi service, and wage declarations, social contributions, and payment processing continue to operate normally without interruption.
Cybersecurity experts warn that the combination of names, birth information, and social security numbers provides attackers with sufficient data to conduct identity theft, fraudulent benefit claims, and targeted phishing campaigns. French social security numbers are particularly valuable as they are used extensively in administrative and financial processes throughout the country.
Urssaf notified France's data protection authority, the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL), and the National Cybersecurity Agency (ANSSI). A criminal complaint has been filed with the public prosecutor, classifying the incident as criminal data theft under French law.
The organization has issued urgent warnings about expected phishing scams and fraudulent communications following the data theft. Cybercriminals are likely to sell the stolen information to scammers who will use it to impersonate Urssaf officials, childcare employers, or government representatives.
