Cyber ​​attack still causes problems in Vorpommern-Rügen

After a cyber attack on the district administration in Vorpommern-Rügen, nothing really worked anymore. Instead of emails, telephone, fax and post as well as pen and paper had to be used for important documents, conversations or applications. The administration was in a state of emergency.

Cyber ​​attack still has an impact today

The attackers had “unauthorized access to the district’s information technology system via a stolen user account,” the public prosecutor’s office later said.

Although the district is slowly recovering, “the consequences of the cyber attack on the IT infrastructure on November 27, 2023 continue to impact work in the district to this day,” according to the administration.

However, the district asserts that “the ability to work was present every day.” However, problems and technical limitations still exist. “This particularly affects applications that have web-based connections to federal and state authorities.”

Employees had to drive more

Some specialist applications can now be used again, such as in vehicle registration, in the area of ​​immigration authorities and in hunting and weapons law. In addition, interim solutions have been created, which have changed processes.

And: “All specialist services are equipped with so-called emergency Internet clients, which provide email accessibility and Internet connections.” For some employees in the authority, the cyber attack also meant more driving. “There was additional travel time for a few colleagues who had to travel to other locations due to the administrative assistance offered by other administrations.”

The district is continuing to work hard to ensure that everything runs smoothly. However, this requires “support, approvals and authorizations from many partners,” according to the district. However, there are expected to be further improvements in the coming weeks.

That is why the investigation was discontinued

When asked “What costs has the cyber attack caused for the district so far?”, the administration's answer is tight-lipped. “We will compile these and initially process them internally within the administration and for the members of the district council.”

The police investigation was closed after the cyber attack in February. “A perpetrator could not be identified. The only clue was an IP address in North America. Previous experience shows that further investigations in such cases are not promising,” said the public prosecutor's office in Rostock.

The spokesperson there also explains: “No damage was caused. No data was leaked. No payments were made.” Nevertheless, it must be emphasized: The annoyance surrounding the renewal of the district's IT and the costs associated with it remain.