Berlin City Government Hit by Cyberattack, Hacker Group Rhysida Demands 30 Bitcoin Ransom

According to ZEIT, two weeks after a cyberattack on the Berlin city government, the hacker group is suspected of extorting the authorities with stolen data. Per Der Spiegel, the attackers are believed to be the long-active Rhysida hacker group, demanding 30 Bitcoin (approximately 2 million euros) and threatening to make the data public. The sensitive information involved may include traffic violation records and passwords. The Berlin state government has so far not confirmed the scope of the data breach, nor responded to the ransom amount or the attackers' identity, citing "operational investigative reasons" for remaining silent. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner has stated clearly that Berlin will not yield to extortion. The affected departments are primarily transport and construction administration, which were temporarily isolated from the state government network after the incident.