Berlin City Rejects Extortion Attempts After Pre-Election Cyberattack
City Government Response and Election Security
Official Statements from Berlin Leadership
BERLIN, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Berlin's city government will not allow itself to be extorted following a cyberattack on its network, Mayor Kai Wegner said in a statement on Friday, less than a month before the city-state holds elections.
Joint Statement from Mayor and Interior Senator
• In a joint statement, Wegner and Berlin's interior senator, Iris Spranger, said: "The state of Berlin will not submit to extortion," without giving further details.
Details of the Cyberattack and Ransom Demands
• Broadcaster RBB reported on Thursday evening that Berlin had received ransom demands for an unspecified amount following the attack.
Impact Assessment and Data Security
Extent of the Data Breach
• Officials could not yet provide details on the content or scope of the affected data because the extent of the breach was still being examined, Wegner said at a press conference.
Election Infrastructure and Data Protection
• Spranger said the city's election infrastructure had not been affected and that, according to security officials, no data related to the election had been compromised.
Upcoming Elections and Political Context
Berlin State Parliament Elections
• Berlin is set to elect a new state parliament on September 20. Wegner - a conservative - said in July that he will not seek another term as mayor.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Cian Muenster and Miranda Murray, Editing by Friederike Heine)
