Berlin refuses to pay ransom after cyberattack

The Rhysida group, which has previously targeted the British Museum, has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack. They are said to be demanding 30 bitcoin, approximately €2 million, and have threatened to auction off 5.79 terabytes of stolen data.

Some of Berlin's online systems were forced offline as a result of the attack, impacting services such as applications for housing benefits. While the full scope of the compromised data is still under investigation, officials have confirmed that the city's election infrastructure remains unaffected ahead of the upcoming state parliament election.