The FIA has been hacked after workers fell for a phishing attack

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Two email accounts got compromised at Formula 1's governing body

Formula 1 logo on smartphone
(Image credit: Shutterstock / rafapress)

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body for Formula 1 and other top motorsports around the world, has revealed it recently suffered a cyberattack which saw threat actors gain access to several email accounts.

In a short press release, the FIA confirmed recent phishing attacks resulted in “unauthorized access to personal data contained in two email accounts belonging to the FIA.”

“The FIA took all actions to rectify the issues, notably in cutting the illegitimate accesses in a very short time, once it became aware of the incidents and notified the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (the French data protection regulator), and the Préposé Fédéral à la Protection des Données et à la Transparence (the Swiss data protection regulator),” it said.

Missing key details

There were no details about the nature of the data stolen, or the identity of the attackers. We don’t know how many people were affected by the incident, what kind of information the hackers stole, and whether or not they asked for any payment in exchange for the archives. 

TechRadar Pro reached out to FIA, and was told the incidents were identified as part of a wider phishing attempt across the motorsport sphere, rather than a targeted attack on the FIA’s systems.

The FIA is the governing body for many major auto racing events worldwide, as well as an advocate for motoring and road safety initiatives. It was founded in 1904 in Paris, France, and it oversees a wide range of motorsport activities, such as Formula One, World Rally Championship, World Endurance Championship, and Formula E.

Apart from its sports activities, FIA works to improve road safety and sustainable mobility through various programs and campaigns. It counts 242 member organizations, located in 147 countries around the world. 

“The FIA regrets any concern caused to the affected individuals,” the statement concludes.

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Sead Fadilpašić

Sead is a seasoned freelance journalist based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He writes about IT (cloud, IoT, 5G, VPN) and cybersecurity (ransomware, data breaches, laws and regulations). In his career, spanning more than a decade, he’s written for numerous media outlets, including Al Jazeera Balkans. He’s also held several modules on content writing for Represent Communications.