(The 2nd paragraph specifies that Evidian was planned as a spin-off for the Big Data processing and cybersecurity business).

PARIS/TOULOUSE (dpa-AFX) - Aircraft manufacturer Airbus is exploring an entry into cybersecurity provider Evidian from French IT group Atos, according to a press report. Preliminary talks are currently underway around a minority stake in the business, the newspaper Les Echos reported Monday, citing several unnamed sources. An Atos spokesman confirmed talks about a minority stake in Evidian with possible future shareholders, according to the report. However, these are at such an early stage that more cannot be said. A spokesman for Airbus would not comment on "market rumors or speculation."

Atos shares jumped more than 12 percent to 10.13 euros in Paris. The IT service provider had announced last summer that it was considering splitting into two listed parts, one of them for big data processing and the other for cybersecurity - Evidian.

The weakening core business with IT outsourcing and management would continue to operate under the Atos name. Evidian is seen as the future business of the existing group. The largest shareholder in Atos is the German Siemens Group, which sold its own IT business to the French company in 2011. Most recently, it still held just under 5 percent of the shares./men/mis