Berlin refused to pay a ransom demand to hackers who stole massive government data, prompting the hackers to auction the files online.
The city government of Berlin, Germany, has openly refused to pay a ransom demand to a group of criminal hackers who broke into its official computer network.
Government officials confirmed the bold decision on Friday, August 28, 2026, after receiving money demands from an infamous cybercrime group known as Rhysida.
The criminal group claimed to have stolen nearly six terabytes of sensitive city data, including thousands of government contracts, passwords, phone numbers, and administrative records.
Following Berlin’s refusal to pay, the hackers put the stolen files up for public auction on the dark web, starting a 7 day countdown clock.
The main reason why the cyberattack has created huge concern is that it targeted key administrative offices responsible for housing and environmental services right before major city state elections scheduled for September 20, 2026.
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Bad actors used weak spots in remote network connections to infiltrate the state network, causing computer shutdowns that temporarily stopped housing benefit payments and city applications.
When city officials refused to give in to blackmail, the hackers demanded thirty bitcoin, worth around two million euros, to delete the files, threatening to sell the private information to the highest bidder if the payment was missed.
Despite the threat of private documents being leaked online, government leaders declared that paying criminal gangs only encourages more online attacks against public institutions.
City authorities quickly isolated the affected servers, called in national cyber security experts, and confirmed that voting systems and election infrastructure remain fully safe and unaffected.
Standing firm against the criminal demands during an official statement, city leaders made it clear that public authorities will not bow to online blackmail.
Speaking on behalf of the government, Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner and Interior Senator Iris Spranger jointly declared that “Berlin is the victim of a serious crime,” emphasizing firmly that “the state of Berlin will not submit to extortion”.
Reassuring voters that upcoming city elections remain completely protected, Interior Senator Iris Spranger added that “the vote is 100 percent secure”.
Police units and German security services are actively investigating the breach to track down the cyber criminals. Security agencies note that Rhysida has previously targeted schools, hospitals, and major institutions like the British Library using similar extortion tactics.
Jennifer Baba is a journalist, international news correspondent, and writer at Moderncrux, where she covers artificial intelligence, fintech, emerging technologies, global politics, and international affairs. Based in Nigeria, she is passionate about transforming complex global developments into clear, engaging stories that inform and inspire readers.
