So what exactly happened? Since early September, employee files, official correspondence, pay stubs, and even scanned ID documents have been appearing on the dark web. The hacker group Rhysida stole the data and then tried to extort the city government. They demanded a ransom of 30 bitcoins, which is equivalent to about €2 million ($2.3 million), or else they would publish the sensitive data.
But last Friday, Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner stated: "The State of Berlin will not give in to blackmail. " The data was subsequently published on the dark web, the part of the internet accessible only to tech-savvy users. In total, the data set consists of approximately 1.4 million records.
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To address the data breach, the Berlin Senate has set up a coordination office involving all Berlin administrative agencies. It has also established contact with federal agencies such as the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), based in Bonn. Mayor Kai Wegner said, "We will inform, advise and support those employees and Berliners who were affected as quickly as possible. "
Berlin state elections on September 20 remain safe
The Berlin authorities were, however, able to provide reassurance regarding at least one issue of concern. They announced that the September 20 election for the Berlin State Parliament is not at risk. State Election Commissioner Stephan Bröchler told the Bild newspaper: "As things stand, all systems and processes necessary for the election remain unaffected — including election preparations, the actual election day itself and the steps leading up to the release of the preliminary results. "
Chancellor (CDU) was at least indirectly affected by the data theft. The stolen information also includes details about the controversial expansion of the Chancellery in the heart of Berlin.
This article was translated from German.
