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The hacker group “Rhysida” has published almost six terabytes of data from Berlin’s state administration on the dark web. Among the data is said to be highly sensitive information.
The scale of the leak is enormous: 1,439,893 files. So far, there has been hardly any response from Berlin’s administration and political leaders.
Among the published files is a folder titled “AG CBRN-Rahmenplanung.” CBRN stands for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. This means that highly sensitive information about potential threat scenarios may now be publicly accessible and could also be viewed by terrorists or foreign intelligence services.
Investigative journalist Lars Winkelsdorf has sounded the alarm on “X.” According to him, the cyberattack is “of a magnitude that threatens the state.”
“In addition to LKA documents related to investigations, the files also include plans concerning national defense—ranging from the federal government’s secret communication channels in the event of an apocalypse to defense-related companies and emergency plans developed by government agencies,” he wrote.
A large amount of personal data has also been leaked, particularly relating to state civil servants, including birth certificates, what appear to be absence lists, telephone numbers and home addresses.
The hackers had previously threatened to publish the data on their leak site and demanded a ransom of 30 Bitcoin, around two million euros. They set a countdown that expired at about 3.35 pm on Friday. The Berlin Senate had already made it clear before the ultimatum expired that, as a matter of principle, it does not give in to such blackmail demands.
Shortly after the countdown ended, the data package was published on the dark web, and members of the hacker group have already been sharing lists of filenames on social media.