Hacker attack on Berlin Senate: nuclear emergency plans and government data on darknet
The hacker group Rhysida published 5.26 terabytes of stolen Berlin government data on the darknet, including CBRN emergency plans and civil servant data.
Berlin Senate: stolen classified data with nuclear connection accessible on darknet
Since Friday, 15:35, vast quantities of highly sensitive Berlin government data have been accessible on the darknet according to BILD investigations. The hacker group Rhysida had threatened to publish the data if the Berlin Senate did not pay the demanded ransom of approximately two million euros – payment was not made, and the threat became reality.
The scale of the data breach is enormous: 5.26 terabytes and 1,439,893 files were stolen. A complete overview of the damage is not yet available according to BILD. There has been little official information from Berlin's administration and political circles so far.
Particularly striking: according to BILD, among the published data is a folder labelled "AG CBRN-Rahmenplanung". CBRN stands for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear hazards. These plans are now freely accessible to terrorists and foreign intelligence services. Also leaked were private data of state civil servants – including birth certificates, residential addresses, telephone numbers and apparently absence lists – as well as building plans and emergency guidelines.
CDU security expert Roderich Kiesewetter (62) expressed concern to BILD. Although it was correct not to pay the ransom, he said: "Something like this should never have happened." Kiesewetter warned: "It would be serious if our communication channels and crisis plans were exposed."
Investigative journalist Lars Winkelsdorf, who has reviewed the stolen data himself, spoke on the platform X of the attack reaching a "level that endangers the state". In conversation with BILD, he described the contents: in addition to LKA investigation documents, the data included plans for the defence case and secret communication channels of the Federal Government for extreme scenarios.
When asked what consequences could threaten in the coming weeks and months, Winkelsdorf answered: "Devastating terrorist attacks." The recent attacks on transformer stations were comparatively harmless by contrast. The real problem: "Every crackpot now has an instruction manual for how to paralyse the country's entire infrastructure within two days." His conclusion was bleak: the consequences of the attack were "worse than betrayal in the immediate vicinity of the Chancellor" – and: "If war comes, we could already have lost now."
The Berlin Senate spokeswoman was not available for comment from BILD in the evening.
Source: BILD