Authorities in Anhalt-Bitterfeld, a small German town, declared the detection of a severe cyberattack on government systems, in information picked up by the international news agency Reuters: “Activities are completely paralyzed,” a spokesman for local authorities said, noting that the offices will remain out of service for at least the rest of the weeks.
Because the investigation is still ongoing, so far municipal authorities have not added information about the identity of the hacker or group of hackers responsible for the attack. Details about the possible ransom payment were also added, a rumor that began to spread since authorities confirmed the incident.
On the other hand, it was confirmed that federal authorities sent a specialized team to support with the investigation of the incident, adding that the attack spread to other local government agencies, although no details have been added about the potential results of these hacking campaigns.
Finally, a source close to the local government said that most local governments in Germany carry out their activities using hardware and software considered obsolete, which considerably increases their exposure to cybercriminal activities.
To learn more about information security risks, malware variants, vulnerabilities and information technologies, feel free to access the International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS) websites.
He is a cyber security and malware researcher. He studied Computer Science and started working as a cyber security analyst in 2006. He is actively working as an cyber security investigator. He also worked for different security companies. His everyday job includes researching about new cyber security incidents. Also he has deep level of knowledge in enterprise security implementation.