The hacker group ‘Rhysida’ stole approximately 5.8 TB of confidential data from the government, leaking information including defense plans and the phone numbers and addresses of government officials. | #hacking | #cybersecurity | #infosec | #comptia | #pentest | #hacker

A security incident occurred on the Berlin state government’s network, resulting in the theft of approximately 5.8 TB of confidential data. The hacker group Rhysida claimed responsibility and demanded a ransom, but the government refused to pay. As a result, all of the data was made public.

Published Data: State Plans to Contact Those Affected – Berlin.de

https://www.berlin.de/en/news/10614460-5559700-published-data-state-plans-to-contact-th.en.html

Hacker veröffentlichen sensible Daten aus Berlin – BSI warnt | FAZ
https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/hacker-veroeffentlichen-sensible-daten-aus-berlin-bsi-warnt-201196182.html

Rhysida, who claimed responsibility for the crime, put the stolen data up for auction, setting the minimum bid at 30 Bitcoin (approximately 370 million yen). Rhysida hoped the government would pay, but when payment was not received by the deadline, he released all the data on the dark web. The Berlin state government had previously stated that, in principle, it would not comply with such extortion and would not pay the ransom.

According to reports, the data consists of approximately 1.44 million files and includes highly classified information on defense plans and infrastructure vulnerabilities, as well as personal mobile phone numbers and addresses, data on Berlin fire department emergency response, employee pay stubs, bank account information, and personnel records.

The state government’s decision not to comply with the hackers’ blackmail has garnered support from experts. Prominent IT security expert Christoph Fischer stated, ‘States should not pay for blackmail,’ analyzing that even if they did, the hacker groups might hand over the data to other countries to evade investigation. Bianca Castro of the Berlin-based hacker group

Chaos Computer Club said, ‘If you support these groups financially or by other means, they will naturally continue their activities. We must financially corner them.’

The Berlin City Council acknowledged the data theft and launched an investigation early on. A special task force was established , and preventative measures were taken after the data was made public. The government plans to notify affected individuals. Citizens have been urged to exercise caution, as phishing attacks are likely to occur in the future.