Cyberattacks in France are on the rise, affecting a broad range of entities, from public services to private companies. Gérôme Billois, a cybersecurity expert and author of the essay Cyberattacks: The Underbelly of a Global Threat, points out that the most significant change in recent years is the increasing speed of these attacks. Some are now autonomous, moving so quickly that many defense systems struggle to respond effectively. This evolution has made even well-protected organizations vulnerable to cyber threats. In recent months, several high-profile cyberattacks have targeted French state platforms and major companies. Despite appearing well-protected, these organizations have not been immune. Billois explains that the cyber risk has been significant for years, and hackers are becoming both more intelligent and younger. For example, the group ZeroBytes, which attacked the French tax authority, consisted of two teenagers aged 16 and 18. These individuals often sell stolen data on the dark web for a few thousand euros. However, they are usually caught quickly due to their inexperience and lack of technical sophistication. The growing threat is further fueled by the use of artificial intelligence (AI), which enables the rapid creation of fake documents and the mass production of phishing attempts. AI also enhances traditional attacks, such as generating realistic images of fake documents to trick victims. Additionally, AI can allow a single computer to launch a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack autonomously, overwhelming major servers in under a minute. These advancements make cyber threats more frequent and difficult to detect. Ransomware groups have increasingly targeted smaller, less-defended organizations, such as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). While major French companies listed in the CAC 40 index have seen fewer attacks due to stronger defenses, public sector organizations have faced challenges. These challenges are often linked to outdated systems caused by budget constraints rather than a lack of technical expertise. For individuals, the risk involves "cascading fraud," where stolen data are used to create more realistic attack scenarios, increasing the success rate of phishing and scams. Billois also highlights the rise of autonomous cyber operations, such as those targeting Taiwan in the summer, which are executed at the speed of AI. While the possibility of a massive cyberattack on France’s energy system remains low, Billois acknowledges that with the increasing digitization of infrastructure, no scenario is entirely impossible. To better protect themselves, organizations are advised to shift from merely plugging security gaps to identifying their most critical systems and reducing their exposure. This proactive approach can help them more effectively defend against the growing and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats they face.