Berlin Launches Crisis Response After Hackers Leak Massive Amount of Government Data
2 sources across 2 countries · Germany · United Kingdom
Who reported this
- Frankfurter Allgemeine
- Reuters
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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The Berlin Senate has established a crisis response coordination center after hackers published stolen government data on the darknet. The leak follows a cyberattack that occurred between August 7 and August 12, during which hackers gained unauthorized access to the Berlin state network. The breach affected the Senate departments for Construction and Transport, resulting in the theft of 1.44 million files totaling 5.8 terabytes.
The hacking group, known as Rhyside, demanded a ransom of 30 Bitcoin, which is approximately two million euros. The Senate refused to pay the ransom, leading the group to release the data on Friday. The leaked information reportedly includes personal data of administrative employees, personnel records, and employment references. Additionally, reports indicate the leak contains sensitive information regarding critical infrastructure, such as heating power plants, fuel depots, waterworks, and data related to the Bundeswehr and defense.
The newly formed coordination center is led by State Secretary for Digitalization Florian Hauer. This unit includes the Berlin State Criminal Police Office, the state data protection authority, and IT forensics experts. Their objective is to evaluate the stolen data and provide guidance to affected citizens and companies.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- The center lean focused on the official government response and the immediate action taken by Berlin.
- Centre-right
- The center-right lean emphasized the specific vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure and the potential risks posed by the leaked data.
Sources
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