The investigation into the gigantic cyberattack on the French National Document Security Agency (ANTS) has taken an unexpected turn. The main suspect in the leak that could have affected 11.7 million accounts It would not be an experienced international hacker, but a French teenager of just 15 years old who, according to researchers, built a false image of a cybercriminal using messages generated with artificial intelligence.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed that the minor was arrested on April 25 as part of an investigation opened by the specialized cybercrime unit. The agents believe that the young man was acting under the alias “breach3d”, the name under which a publication appeared on a forum frequented by people linked to the world of hacking and the resale of stolen data.
In that message, the user claimed to have accessed millions of personal records stored by ANTS, the French organization in charge of managing official documents such as identity cards and passports. Among the data allegedly compromised were names, addresses, telephone numbers, emails and dates of birth. The alarm was raised when the author published a small sample of information that, according to the prosecution itself, seemed authentic.
But as the investigation progressed, the image of the sophisticated hacker began to crumble. According to the investigations and various analyzes of his messages on forums and Discord channels, “breach3d” seemed more interested in appearance than in demonstrating authentic technical capabilities.
Investigators maintain that the minor had been trying to build a reputation within online communities for months. obsessed with cybercrime. In his publications he boasted of having discovered security vulnerabilities and participating in data leaks, although he almost never provided real evidence.
Furthermore, many of the texts he shared had a detail that caught special attention: They seemed written with artificial intelligence. The messages imitated the technical and arrogant language typical of famous hacking groups, but without the precision and knowledge that usually accompany real attacks.
In some online exchanges, the teenager even compared himself to cybercriminal organizations known as slip one of the most persecuted groups in recent years for attacks against large technology companies. He also tried to pose as a hacker wanted by the police capable of infiltrating social networks or business systems.
According to information published by The World, The young man said he acted not “for money,” but for notoriety within these digital communities.
Meanwhile, the exact impact of the attack remains unclear. The French Interior Ministry acknowledged that up to 11.7 million accounts could have been affected, although it is not yet known how much data was actually downloaded or shared. The ANTS portal has remained inaccessible since April 24 for maintenance and security review work.
The prosecution has requested charges for attacks against automated systems and for possession of computer tools intended to commit this type of crime. As it is a minor, the French justice system is now studying judicial supervision measures.
