Kai Wegner (CDU), Regierender Bürgermeister von Berlin und Iris Spranger (SPD), Innensenatorin geben ein Pressestatement im Roten Rathaus ab.
© dpa
Following the cyberattack on the city administration’s data network, which came to light in mid-August, Berlin is facing an extortion attempt. Berlin has fallen victim to a serious crime, said Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) after a special Senate session at the Rotes Rathaus.
“The state of Berlin is being blackmailed.” Wegner announced that the Senate would not give in to the blackmailers' demands. According to their statements, the State Criminal Police Office, the public prosecutor's office, and federal security agencies are conducting a vigorous investigation into the alleged perpetrators.
As the ongoing forensic investigations have revealed, data was also leaked from the Senate Department for Mobility, Transportation, Climate Protection, and the Environment. The scope and content are still being examined; it cannot be ruled out that personal data or other non-public data may be involved. The leak is believed to have occurred between August 7 and 12, 2026. The affected Senate departments were disconnected from the state network on August 14. The State Data Protection Commissioner and the Federal Office for Information Security are being kept informed on an ongoing basis.
According to Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD), the upcoming election for the Berlin House of Representatives is technically protected against potential cyberattacks, such as the one recently directed at the Senate Administration. “As far as we know, no data has been compromised there,” she said in Berlin. “According to our security officers, the election environment is secure.”
The Senate was briefed on the current situation on Friday, as were the leaders of the political parties in the House of Representatives. The forensic analysis and review of the state network are ongoing, and the ICT emergency response team that was established remains active.