Election server not affected: all-clear after hacker attack

After a cyber attack on the Federal Returning Officer’s authority, the office and the Ministry of the Interior gave the all-clear: the server in question was completely separated from the election server and there was no danger.

After a hacker attack on the Federal Statistical Office – whose boss Georg Thiel is also the Federal Returning Officer – the office and the Ministry of the Interior gave the all-clear.

The attack was recognized very quickly, a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry said ARD capital studio. Technology for the census, i.e. the collection of population data in Germany, is also affected. However, these servers are completely separate from the election server. There is no danger.

No knowledge of outflow of data

In addition, the Federal Office for Information Security is now checking the system completely. At least so far there is no evidence that the server has been manipulated or that data has been derived.

The Ministry of the Interior did not want to comment on the presumption that the hacker attack was related to the federal election or on possible authors.

“No dangerous situation”

A spokesman for the Federal Returning Officer had previously stated that it had been shown that the security systems were working. He also emphasized that the internal election server for determining the election results and the internet offer of the Federal Returning Officer were operated in separate networks. “There is therefore no danger in relation to the federal election.”

“Business Insider” reported the incident first on Thursday. According to this, strangers installed software that enables external access to servers and file systems. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) classifies the incident as a cyber attack in connection with the federal election.