Berlin Ransomware Leak Exposes State Secrets

Berlin rejected a 30 bitcoin ransom after a cyberattack on its administrative network, and the Rhysida ransomware group retaliated by leaking data on the dark web. According to Berlin’s state government, confirmed at the end of August, officials refused the extortion demand and Rhysida claimed responsibility for the leak on August 28. The gang said it published 5.79 terabytes of material across about 1.44 million files, including personal information on 12,076 individuals. The alleged dataset covers personnel and administrative-offence records, payroll and leadership information, credentials including plaintext passwords, identity documents, and security-related data. Rhysida’s claims have not been independently verified, and investigators are now assessing the scope of exposure, including national defense planning and infrastructure vulnerability analyses.