Cyber blackmail against Berlin administration: 2 million euro ransom demand

A cyberattack targeting public systems in Germany's capital, Berlin, has led to disruptions in municipal services and a ransom crisis. According to a report by Der Spiegel, the hacker group known as Rhysida, which infiltrated the city's systems, claimed to have seized approximately 5.79 terabytes of data.

It was reported that the group has issued a ransom demand of approximately 2 million euros, amounting to 30 bitcoin, to Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner. The hackers reportedly threatened to auction the data they claim to have stolen on the dark web within seven days if the payment is not made.

SYSTEMS SHUT DOWN, PAYMENTS DISRUPTED

It was stated that the initial data breach occurred between August 7 and 12, and on August 14, the networks of two departments were completely shut down for security purposes. Due to the outage, there were days of disruption in housing assistance applications and payments in the capital.

As the investigation expanded, it was noted that new data breaches were detected in the transport and environment departments. In a statement from the mayor's office, it was said, "The possibility that personal data or other non-public data may also have been affected cannot be ruled out."

The report stated that the hackers claim to possess contracts, confidentiality agreements, personnel files, passwords, and thousands of pieces of personal contact information. The Rhysida group is believed to have ties to Russia and Eastern Europe and has previously been linked to a cyberattack on the British Museum.

Rejecting the ransom demand, Kai Wegner declared, "Berlin will not bow to blackmail." Wegner reported that the state police, the public prosecutor's office, and federal security units are working with the highest priority to apprehend the suspects, and that investigations into the scope of the leaked data are ongoing.

Speaking about the attack, which occurred about a month before the elections, State Senator Iris Spranger emphasized that Berlin's election infrastructure has not been compromised. As the investigation continues, the next steps of the hacker group at the end of their deadline are being monitored.

News Source: 12punto