Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner said the city will not cave to a ransom demand from hackers threatening to release sensitive data.

The Rhysida group, which is thought to operate from Russia and eastern Europe, has reportedly taken responsibility for the attack. For related coverage, explore our detailed analysis on Technology and Digital Systems.

Attack Timeline

Initial data leak occurred between 7 and 12 August. Two department networks were shut down on 14 August, affecting housing benefits and payments.

Forensic investigations revealed further data leaks in Berlin's transport and environment department.

The Berlin cyber-attack comes roughly a month before the city holds elections, though state senator Iris Spranger insisted that election infrastructure had not been compromised.

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Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner stated the German capital would not cave to the ransom demand Berlin is being blackmailed Kai Wegner stated authorities would not cave in to the ransom demand, which came on Thursday evening. He did not say how much was being sought, though Der Spiegel reports the hackers are calling for 30 bitcoin, worth around €2m (£1.7m).

Some of the German capital's online systems were forced to close down as a result of the attack, while investigators were working to understand what data had been taken.

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The Rhysida group, which is thought to operate from Russia and eastern Europe, and was behind a previous attack on the British Museum, has reportedly taken responsibility.

It has stated on its website it intends to begin auctioning the 5.79 tera "Berlin will not be blackmailed," Wegner stated on Friday.

He stated state law enforcement personnel, prosecutors and federal security services were working to investigate the suspected perpetrators "with the utmost urgency", adding that inquiries into the "content and scope of the compromised data are being pursued with great intensity".

Authorities for the city-state stated an initial data leak took place between 7 and 12 August.

Then, on 14 August, two department networks were shut down, making applications for housing benefits and payments impossible for several days.

Forensic investigations had since revealed further data leaks within Berlin's transport and environment department, authorities stated.

"It cannot be ruled out that personal or other non-public data may also be affected," the mayor's office stated in a statement on Friday.