Berlin Data Breach: Rhysida Hack Could Haunt Victims for Years

In August 2026, the Rhysida ransomware group breached IT systems belonging to Berlin's Senate administrations for transport and urban development, exfiltrating approximately 1.4 million files totalling 5.8 terabytes. After the Senate refused to pay 30 Bitcoin (around €2 million), the hackers published the full archive on the darknet. The release contains around 12,000 personal records, 148 bank-account numbers, personnel files, payroll documents, fine-notice proceedings, passwords stored in plain text on shared drives, and a 44-page draft civil defence guidebook. IT security expert Manuel Atug warns that consequences will persist for years, as affected individuals face identity theft, fraudulent employment background checks, and stalking. An investigation published on 22 October 2026 in Berliner Zeitung reveals that Berlin cut its IT security budget by 44% in 2025 — from €32.2 million to €18.2 million — and that attack-detection software covered only 5% of devices in the building administration at the time of the breach. Traffic Senator Ute Bonde (CDU) is among high-profile individuals affected; copies of her identity document and digital signature have reportedly appeared in the archive. The incoming Berlin government has pledged mandatory attack-detection tools across all agencies, but experts say the full damage may take decades to address.