Cyber-scams or cyber-attacks are increasing in fenua. And with the surfing event of the 2024 Olympic Games in Teahupoo, Polynesia’s exposure will be increased tenfold… and the risk increased.
But Polynesians are not always aware of these issues. In fenua, on the private side, the most frequent attacks occur via messaging. They can happen for example when you reply to someone you think you know and you give confidential information. “It is also done on social networks. There are many people who use Facebook. Clearly, Facebook account hacking is used a lot. We have a lot of people who have their account hacked quite easily, notes Jean-Philippe Péalat, director of the information system of French Polynesia. “For what ? Because, we often use passwords that are not strong enough, such as first names of children, spouses, dictionary words.“
Protect against attacks
To avoid attacks, here are some tips: use sufficiently complex passwords (including numbers, special characters, upper and lower case letters, etc.), check the identity of the sender of the message you receive, be attentive to his way of to write. Also remember to update your devices regularly. They make it possible to correct security vulnerabilities.
Professionals are also victims of attacks and identity theft. One of the most well-known scams is the “president scam”. The Jus de fruits de Moorea company, one of the few to communicate on the subject, was victim in 2019.
“The usurper pretends to be the president of the company, and he takes advantage of the absence of the real business manager to directly solicit the accounting services, explaining that he needs urgent transfers.”
Another type of attack in business, via emails: crypto-viruses. “A message contains a virus that will encrypt and make all the documents on a machine inaccessible, and on a corporate network, it can extend and encrypt all the servers, including backups”. The person(s) behind the virus will then demand a ransom to unlock the data. “It can jeopardize a business.”
Nationwide, services are getting ready. “We cannot remain inactive in the face of these subjects. We need to anticipate this type of attack, to prepare. And above all, we need to integrate one thing, it is that at some point, we are going to lose. (…) We will potentially lose data. So we have to work on two tracks: business continuity plans (…) and business recovery plans. (…) We must be prepared to outsource backups.”
In mainland France, according to a annual barometer du Cesin (club of experts in information and digital security) carried out with Opinon Way, 54% of companies declared having suffered at least one attack in 2021. No figures in Polynesia, companies remaining very discreet on the subject.
“If the CHPF is the victim of a major attack, what do we do?“
Emmanuel Bouniot, deputy director of the DSI and responsible for the security of information systems for the administration.
At the end of January, a mission from the National Information Systems Security Agency (ANSSI) was in Polynesia. Objective: identify the issues faced by Polynesians, and consider setting up a resource center. This center should enable the collection of data, public awareness and support for professionals.
A project launched one year before the 2024 Olympic Games. “In mainland France, there are equivalents, the CSIRTs (in English Computer Security Incident Response Team, Editor’s note). In each region there is a CSIRT, explains Emmanuel Bouniot, deputy director of the DSI and responsible for the security of information systems for the administration. “It’s a center that lists all the potential risks, warns the important players and can intervene in the event of a crisis. (…) In Polynesia, we are in a particular context compared to the metropolis. In mainland France, when there is a compromised hospital, as has happened quite regularly this year, patients can go a little further to another hospital. In Polynesia, if the CHPF is the victim of a major attack, what do we do? We no longer have care services. So all of a sudden it takes on a much more complex proportion than in mainland France.”
The resource center is still at the idea stage. A study must still be carried out to specify its future missions.
Find detailed advice to protect yourself against cyber-attacks on the ANSSI website, by clicking ICI
