crime
Data of more than 37,000 museum visitors stolen
The Museum of Natural History Berlin. photo
© Christoph Soeder/dpa
The Natural History Museum of Berlin was the target of a hacker attack in October. Sensitive data from more than 37,000 visitors was stolen.
More than 37,000 visitors to the Berlin Museum of Natural History fell victim to a hacker attack in October. “The hackers stole sensitive data from them. We apologize to those affected,” said museum spokeswoman Gesine Steiner. These are some of the customers who have purchased tickets in the museum’s online shop since 2021 and paid with Paypal. “We informed all of these customers specifically and offered them extensive help,” says Steiner. In total, more than 1.86 million people visited the museum during the period. A total of 37,243 customers – two percent – were affected by the hacker attack.
After the attack, the museum filed a report and informed the public. A specialized security service provider was commissioned to analyze the attack. The internal crisis team is currently working with forensic service providers to clean up and safely rebuild the systems, said the spokeswoman. Emergency operation ensures that the museum’s central services are running and that other services can be gradually put into operation. The Museum of Natural History According to the information, Berlin can still be visited without restrictions. Tickets could be purchased safely.