Berlin Senate Chancellery: Berlin cuts two state ministries off government network after security breach

Berlin State Ministries Isolated Following Cybersecurity Breach

Two key Berlin state ministries responsible for urban development, construction, housing, and mobility, transport, climate protection were disconnected from the city’s IT network on Friday after authorities detected a security breach. The Berlin Senate Chancellery confirmed the isolation on Monday, prioritizing network security while withholding details about the attack’s origin, method, or potential data theft.

Investigations are ongoing, with German public broadcaster RBB reporting that attackers may have exploited a vulnerability in one ministry’s IT systems. The state-owned IT service provider, ITDZ Berlin, remained unaffected, as the compromised ministries operate independently of its infrastructure.

While both ministries continue to function, employees have lost access to email and internet, relying instead on phones, text messages, and faxes. The disruption has also impacted public services, including housing benefit applications and education assistance, which are temporarily unprocessable at some district offices. Authorities have not indicated when normal operations will resume.

Source: https://therecord.media/berlin-cuts-two-state-ministries-off-government-breach

Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/berliner-senatsverwaltung-für-wirtschaft-energie-und-betriebe

"id": "BER1787077728",
"linkid": "berliner-senatsverwaltung-für-wirtschaft-energie-und-betriebe",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "8/2026",
"severity": "60",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Public service users (housing '
                                              'benefit applicants, education '
                                              'assistance recipients)',
                        'industry': 'Government',
                        'location': 'Berlin, Germany',
                        'name': 'Berlin State Ministry for Urban Development, '
                                'Construction, and Housing',
                        'type': 'Government Ministry'},
                       {'customers_affected': 'Public service users',
                        'industry': 'Government',
                        'location': 'Berlin, Germany',
                        'name': 'Berlin State Ministry for Mobility, '
                                'Transport, and Climate Protection',
                        'type': 'Government Ministry'}],
 'date_detected': '2023-11-10',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2023-11-13',
 'description': 'Two key Berlin state ministries responsible for urban '
                'development, construction, housing, and mobility, transport, '
                'climate protection were disconnected from the city’s IT '
                'network after authorities detected a security breach. The '
                'Berlin Senate Chancellery confirmed the isolation, '
                'prioritizing network security while withholding details about '
                'the attack’s origin, method, or potential data theft.',
 'impact': {'operational_impact': 'Employees relying on phones, text messages, '
                                  'and faxes; disruption in public services',
            'systems_affected': 'Email and internet access, housing benefit '
                                'applications, education assistance'},
 'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2023-11-13',
                 'source': 'Berlin Senate Chancellery'},
                {'date_accessed': '2023-11-13',
                 'source': 'German public broadcaster RBB'}],
 'response': {'containment_measures': 'Isolation from the city’s IT network'},
 'title': 'Berlin State Ministries Cybersecurity Breach',
 'type': 'Cybersecurity Breach',
 'vulnerability_exploited': 'Possible exploitation of a vulnerability in one '
                            'ministry’s IT systems'}