Berlin State Premier Kai Wegner announced that they would not give in to the ransom demand following the cyberattack that took place in previous weeks. Wegner said the investigation was ongoing to identify the perpetrators and determine the extent of the stolen data. Der Spiegel reported that the hackers were demanding 30 Bitcoin (approximately 112 million TL).
Rhysida claimed responsibility for the attack, while the group announced that it would put 5.79 terabytes of data allegedly stolen from Berlin’s systems up for auction within 7 days. The attack, which took place on August 7-12, was said to have particularly affected the transport and environment departments, and other personal or non-public data may also have been compromised.
Why it matters
The fact that the attack affected the transport and environment departments makes the issue more than just a technical security breach, linking it to the functioning of public services in Berlin. The fact that the scope of the personal and non-public data reportedly stolen has not yet been clarified constitutes the most critical aspect of the investigation; questions about what information was compromised and who may be affected remain unanswered. The administration’s refusal to pay the ransom brings to the forefront not so much whether the attackers’ demand will be met, but rather how the authorities will respond to the possible dissemination of the data. Rhysida’s announcement that it would put the data up for auction makes the fate of the information allegedly stolen as decisive for Berlin as the outcome of the investigation.