Berlin's state government has confirmed it is the victim of an extortion attempt following a cyberattack in August 2026 that compromised its administrative network and resulted in the exfiltration of data, reportedly 5.79 terabytes according to the attackers. The city has refused to pay the ransom, with Governing Mayor Kai Wegner stating plainly that "the state of Berlin is being blackmailed," while law enforcement and federal security authorities investigate the incident. The ransomware group Rhysida has been named as the likely perpetrator, with officials stating that election infrastructure and sensitive data appear not to have been compromised.
