Berlin Is Being Blackmailed By Hackers
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: Berlin is being blackmailed by hackers who were able to compromise city systems and steal data earlier this month, its mayor has said. Kai Wegner said officials would not cave in to the ransom demand, which came on Thursday evening. He did not say how much was being sought, though Der Spiegel reports the hackers are demanding 30 bitcoin, worth…
Berlin is under threat from hackers who managed to breach city systems and steal information earlier in the month, according to the city's mayor. The extortion attempt was made on Thursday evening, though the exact ransom amount has not been disclosed. However, the hackers are reportedly demanding 30 bitcoin, which equates to approximately 2 million euros.
The online systems of the German capital were disrupted as a result of the attack, with some services forced to shut down. The Rhysida group, believed to be operating from Russia and eastern Europe, has claimed responsibility for the hack. They have stated on their website that they intend to auction off the stolen data, amounting to 5.79 terabytes, which they took from Berlin in just seven days.
The initial data breach is believed to have occurred between August 7 and 12, followed by the shutdown of two department networks on August 14, rendering applications for housing benefits and payments unresponsive for several days. Mayor Kai Wegner has vowed that Berlin will not give in to the hackers' demands, emphasizing that state police, prosecutors, and federal security services are conducting a thorough investigation into the perpetrators and the nature of the compromised data.
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