Hit by a cyberattack since August, Paris’s Natural History Museum is struggling to resume normal operations. The incident disrupts research and has forced the cancellation of a major exhibition.
The French National Museum of Natural History in Paris, the world’s third largest, has been under a cyberattack for over a month, paralyzing research tools and digital services. While its sites remain open to the public, internal disruptions remain severe. The institution has announced the cancellation of its autumn exhibition, “Tropical Autumn: Palms, Treasures & Secrets,” scheduled for October 16 to November 24, 2025. Management insists no data has been lost and that a continuity plan has been implemented. The judicial investigation is still underway, as concern grows over the wave of similar cyber incidents targeting cultural institutions, such as the one that recently struck the Auckland Museum.
Ongoing investigation and scientific paralysis
The cyberattack launched in early August against the Natural History Museum of Paris has severely disrupted its operations. Systems dedicated to research, scientific expertise, and libraries remain partially blocked. For an institution considered a strategic resource hub in biology and archaeology, the impact is significant. The cybercrime division of the Paris prosecutor’s office is investigating the origin and perpetrators of the attack.
Inside the museum, unease is growing. Management states that the data has not been destroyed and will be recoverable. Nevertheless, the slowdown in scientific processing and access to collections complicates researchers’ work. In a field where data reliability and availability are essential, this situation weakens the museum’s central role within the French research ecosystem.
Impact on the public and programming
While disruptions mainly affect internal activities, visitors have so far experienced few direct consequences. The Jardin des Plantes, the Museum of Man, and the zoological park remain open to the public. However, the institution has confirmed the cancellation of one of its major autumn events.
The exhibition “Tropical Autumn: Palms, Treasures & Secrets” planned in the Grandes Serres from October 16 to November 24, 2025, is now cancelled. The institution explained that such an event requires digital and logistical preparation that cannot be carried out under current conditions. The previous edition, dedicated to botanical illustration, had been a public success. This cancellation illustrates the concrete cultural impact of the attack in Paris.
The museum has activated a business continuity plan, ensuring that its sites remain open and much of the program continues. Still, management warns that further cancellations or postponements may occur if preparations cannot be secured. The full seasonal program will only be available on September 23.
A target among others
This incident is part of a broader wave of attacks against cultural and scientific institutions. Earlier this week, the Auckland Museum was hit by the Lynx hacker group. The timing of these events raises questions about why such institutions have become attractive targets.
Museums hold sensitive data: digitized inventories of heritage collections, unpublished research, scientific correspondence, as well as ticketing and visitor management systems. Often less protected than government agencies or major corporations, these infrastructures represent ideal targets for organized groups.
Amid heightened geopolitical tensions and the rise in cyberattacks against knowledge institutions, museums’ resilience has become a strategic issue. For the Natural History Museum, as for others, the challenge extends beyond operational continuity: it involves protecting national scientific and cultural heritage.
P.S.: Don’t hesitate to visit the museum, which remains open. And on top of that, two baby red pandas were born at the Ménagerie, the zoo of the Jardin des Plantes. [ZATAZ News English version]
