Berlin Government Rejects Ransom After Cyberattack Hits State Agencies

The incident, which surfaced on Aug. 14, forced the Senate Department for Urban Development and the Senate Department for Mobility to disconnect from the state network for a week. This emergency measure disrupted administrative services, including housing benefit applications, while security teams worked to contain the intrusion. Although the government initially claimed only public information was exposed, the Senate Chancellery later acknowledged that non-public data had been compromised.

German publication Der Spiegel identified the ransomware group Rhysida as the culprit behind the extortion attempt. The group claims to have exfiltrated nearly six terabytes of sensitive files, including credentials, contracts, and emergency plans. Despite these claims, Berlin authorities have not verified the extent of the theft or the specific contents of the data. Interior Senator Iris Spranger emphasized that the city’s election infrastructure remains secure, while the Berlin State Criminal Police Office continues to investigate the breach to determine exactly what information was extracted between Aug. 7 and Aug. 12.