The federal government is supporting Berlin in its investigation into a hacker attack

The state of Berlin is receiving support from the federal government in the investigation into the hacker attack on parts of the Berlin administration. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) are involved, a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior said in response to a dpa request. The detailed evaluation is currently being carried out by the responsible security authorities of the state of Berlin.

“All findings are compiled and shared in the Joint Cyber ​​Defense Center,” said the spokesman. The Rhysida group, which is held responsible for the leak, is known to the security authorities and has been active since mid-2021. “She is fundamentally considered criminal and financially motivated.”

Data was published on the dark web on Friday

After a cyber attack on the Berlin administration, around 1.44 million files with a size of 5.8 terabytes were published on the dark web on Friday. The criminal hacker group Rhysida had withdrawn the data unnoticed in mid-August and demanded a ransom of 30 Bitcoin - the equivalent of around two million euros. The Senate did not pay the ransom.

A government spokesman said the federal government was closely following the information and investigations into the data leak. The authorities involved continuously compared their information. “After analyzing potential security risks, appropriate measures will be initiated to maintain military security. According to current knowledge, federal data systems are not affected,” said the spokesman.