Berlin’s government is facing a renewed cybersecurity crisis after hackers published another batch of stolen data from the city administration, with authorities confirming that the latest release includes access credentials.
The new disclosure follows a major cyberattack against Berlin’s state government network in August, in which attackers gained access to systems belonging to two Senate departments responsible for urban development, housing, transport, mobility, climate protection and the environment.
According to the Berlin Senate, another package of stolen information was released during the night of September 5–6. The latest material included login credentials, prompting officials to review and strengthen security measures already introduced following the initial publication of stolen data. Some government IT services may experience temporary restrictions as additional protective measures are implemented.
The cyberattack has been claimed by the ransomware group Rhysida, which previously alleged that it had stolen approximately 5.7 terabytes of data from Berlin’s government network.
The attackers reportedly demanded 30 Bitcoin, worth approximately €2 million at the time, in exchange for not releasing the stolen information. Berlin refused to pay the ransom, after which the criminals began publishing the data.
Berlin authorities have since established a central coordination unit involving the State Criminal Police Office, the affected government departments, the state’s data-protection authority and other security agencies to examine the leaked material and assess potential risks.
Berlin officials said approximately 1.3 million files have now been released across multiple data packages. Authorities are still examining the material to determine exactly what information was compromised and which individuals or organisations may be affected.
The Berlin data-protection authority has warned that the leaked material may contain personal information belonging to government employees and potentially Berlin residents. Authorities have therefore urged people who believe their information may have been exposed to take appropriate protective measures.
Authorities are also considering the use of artificial intelligence to help analyse the enormous volume of leaked files and identify material that could pose security or privacy risks. The scale of the data makes a purely manual review extremely difficult.
Berlin’s investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to assess the leaked information and determine the full impact of the attack.
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