In the weeks before a state election, Berlin's city government became the latest institution to learn that digital infrastructure is only as strong as its most distracted employee. A single phishing email opened the door to the Rhysida criminal group, who spent a week moving silently through government networks before walking away with 1.4 million files touching the lives of four million residents. When the city refused to pay €2 million in ransom, the data was released into the dark web — a reminder that in the modern age, the walls of a city are no longer made of stone, and the keys to its g
Berlin cyberattack exposes 1.4M files as Rhysida demands €2M ransom
Approximately 4 million Berlin residents and city employees had personal data compromised, including ID documents and pay information, with risk of identity theft and impersonation.