Cyberattack hits two Berlin Senate departments, employees unable to work

The Red Town Hall in Berlin. Source: AFP/JOHN MACDOUGALL

A cyberattack has struck parts of the Berlin Senate administration, prompting the isolation of two departments from the state network and the establishment of a crisis task force.

Incident Details

According to the Senate Chancellery, the attack was discovered during forensic investigations. The affected departments are:

• Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing
• Senate Department for Mobility, Transport, Environmental Protection and Climate Protection

Both departments were isolated from the state network on Friday as a security precaution to prevent further damage.

Investigation and Response

Authorities involved in the response include:

• State Criminal Police Office (LKA)
• Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office
• Federal Office for Information Security (BSI)

The public prosecutor's office has initiated an investigation, a spokesperson confirmed to dpa.

A crisis task force has been established under the leadership of the State Commissioner for Information Security of the State of Berlin. The Senate Chancellery stated: "For tactical investigative reasons, no further specific information on the extent and background can be provided at this time."

Impact on Operations

An employee of the Senate Transport Administration told the Tagesspiegel that staff were informed working from home was not possible. At the time, it was not yet known that the disruption was due to a hacker attack.

"We are practically unable to work, without internet and external email communication," the unnamed employee told the Berliner Zeitung. "Hardly anyone here believes a solution will be found by tomorrow."

Data Leak Status

It remains unclear whether data has been leaked. A person familiar with the events told the Tagesspiegel that data had been leaked, but noted it was also publicly available.

With dpa