Hackers attack Berlin Senate systems
Two government departments in the German capital Berlin, dealing with urban planning and transport and the environment, have been hacked. As a security measure, they have been disconnected from Berlin's public digital network. According to media reports, some of the most important and confidential information may have been stolen during the attack.
Two departments of the Berlin state government, the Senate, have been hit by a cyberattack, the Berlin Senate Chancellery said on August 17.
Officials said the attempted hacking was discovered during a digital forensics examination. The attack affected Berlin's Office for Urban Planning, Construction and Housing, as well as the Office for Mobility, Transport, the Environment and Climate Protection.
According to German broadcaster rbb, both departments were disconnected from the Berlin state's digital network on August 14 for security reasons. It is not yet clear whether the cyberattack occurred on August 14 or whether authorities discovered it on that day.
The Berlin Senate Chancellery said that both departments that were attacked are still operating. However, according to the RBB, they have been completely disconnected from the internet since the evening of August 14. At the moment, the offices can only be contacted by phone. Employees have also been informed that they will not be able to work remotely, that is, from home.
According to initial information, the attackers may have exploited a vulnerability in the digital infrastructure of the Berlin Federal State Office for Urban Planning, Construction and Housing to gain access to the digital network. The RBB has determined that the two departments affected by the cyberattack shared a certain part of the digital infrastructure. At the same time, they operated their segments of the Berlin Federal State Network without the direct involvement of the local IT service provider ITDZ.
According to RBB sources, “partially extremely important and confidential data” was stolen as a result of the cyberattack. However, details about what data was obtained and its volume have not yet been provided. Berlin Senate spokeswoman Kristine Richter, in response to a request from Tagesspiegel, limited herself to stating that the investigation was ongoing.
According to the Berlin Senate press service, the Berlin Criminal Investigation Office, the city prosecutor's office and the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) are working on the incident. They are working to ensure the security of the digital network of the federal state of Berlin and to eliminate possible vulnerabilities.
A special crisis headquarters was also set up on August 17 to coordinate security measures and organize a digital forensic examination. It is headed by the Berlin federal state's information security representative. It is not yet known who is behind the cyberattack. The Berlin Senate Chancellery has not speculated on the possible attackers or which country or group they are affiliated with at this stage of the investigation.