In brief
Berlin’s mayor Kai Wegner has announced that the city will not pay the ransom demanded by the Rhysida hacking group, which stole almost 6 TB of data earlier this month. Although the attackers are hoping for 30 bitcoin—about €2 million—the mayor declined to negotiate, pledging to protect residents’ privacy while investigators rush to determine the scope of the breach. The attack caused disruptions to housing benefit applications and shut down several department networks. Authorities are working with federal security services to trace the perpetrators and protect the city’s digital infrastructure ahead of upcoming elections.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner said on Friday that the city will not give in to the hackers' ransom demand after a sophisticated cyber‑attack exposed 5.79 TB of data.
The attack, carried out by the Rhysida group, was first detected between 7 and 12 August, forcing several city networks to shut down and halting services such as housing benefits applications for days.
Wegner did not disclose the exact ransom amount, but German media report that the group is demanding 30 bitcoin—roughly €2 million. Nevertheless, the mayor declined to negotiate.
Authorities, including state police, prosecutors and federal security services, are investigating the breach “with the utmost urgency” to determine the scope of the data leak, which may involve personal and other non‑public information.
The Rhysida group, known for targeting government institutions and private firms, has threatened to auction the stolen data after a countdown, echoing a similar tactics used in its 2023 British Museum breach.
Berlin’s cyber‑attack comes just a month before local elections, but state senator Iris Spranger stresses that election infrastructure remains secure.
