Cybercriminals Who Stole Berlin Data Demand €2 Million Ransom

A cybercriminal group calling itself Rhysida is demanding about €2 million for data it claims to have stolen from Berlin’s administrative network.

Berlin municipal spokeswoman Christine Richter said the group claimed responsibility for the attack and said it possessed 5.7 terabytes of stolen data. Since the previous Friday, Rhysida has reportedly been offering the information in an auction on the dark web.

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It is true that responsibility for this attack was claimed by a group calling itself Rhysida, which says it has 5.7 terabytes of stolen data.

The minimum bid stands at 30 bitcoin, equivalent to about €2 million, Richter said. The auction is due to run until Friday. She warned that the data could later be resold or published in full or in part.

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The minimum bid is 30 bitcoin, which amounts to about 2 million euros. The auction will run until Friday.

Richter described Rhysida as a highly professional group linked to cyberattacks in Northern and Southern Europe, Germany and the United States. She said there was no evidence connecting it to Russia or the Russian state, while adding that such a connection could not be ruled out.

The cyberattack became public on Aug. 14. Current information indicates that a major data breach occurred between Aug. 7 and Aug. 12, including the exposure of sensitive personal information. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner said the city would not allow itself to be blackmailed.

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There is no evidence that it is connected to Russia or even the Russian state, but on the other hand that cannot be ruled out either.