Hacker attack on Berlin: Rhysida demands 2 million euros, deadline expires
The hacker group "Rhysida" is threatening to publish 5.7 terabytes of stolen Berlin government data. The extortion ultimatum expired on Friday.
Berlin Senate under pressure: Extortion deadline expired, data publication threatened
The ultimatum from a hacker group to the Berlin Senate expired on Friday. According to BILD, stolen data from citizens and companies could be published online in the course of the day. The data was previously offered for sale in an auction on the dark web – minimum bid: 30 bitcoin, equivalent to around two million euros.
According to current findings, the attack was carried out by the group "Rhysida", an organisation of professional cybercriminals. According to current information, approximately 5.7 terabytes of data are affected, which were extracted from the networks of the Senate administrations for Mobility, Transport, Climate Protection and the Environment, as well as for Urban Development between 7 and 12 August.
The Information Office of the State of Berlin warns in a press release that publication by the alleged perpetrators "cannot be ruled out". This could include "according to current knowledge, personal data of employees of the State of Berlin, but also of citizens and companies", it states.
Senate refuses payment
Florian Hauer, Chief Digital Officer of the State of Berlin, stated unequivocally: "The State of Berlin will not be extorted. The security of employees in the State of Berlin and of Berliners is a priority for us." Hauer added: "Anyone who attacks our state network and thus Berlin commits a most serious crime – and thereby harms us all."
According to the news magazine "Spiegel", Hauer had already warned Berlin state employees in an internal letter about possible AI-generated contact attempts and deception tactics.
Authorities establish special unit
The Senate and the affected administrations are working closely with the Berlin State Criminal Police Office (LKA), the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and other security authorities at federal and state level. A special unit has been established. Investigations are continuing into whether information beyond the known data has been stolen. An external confidential lawyer is available for affected employees; the emergency staff is meeting indefinitely according to the Senate Chancellery.
Senate spokesperson Christine Richter told news agency dpa: "There is no evidence of connections to Russia or to the Russian state, but this cannot be ruled out either."
Those affected are urged to file a report
Individuals whose data may appear online will be notified by the responsible Senate administrations – as required by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The Senate Chancellery recommends those affected to file a criminal complaint – either via the Berlin Police's internet reporting service or at any local police station.
A BILD inquiry to the Senate's press office about when exactly the extortion deadline expires remained unanswered by the time of print.
Source: BILD