A Massive Cyberattack Hits the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce
Last week, the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) shut down its IT system because of a cyberattack.
DIHK chief executive, Michael Bergmann, described the cyberattack as “massive.”Unfortunately a serious IT incident occurred yesterday. The DIHK organization suffered a massive cyberattack. As a security measure, they blocked all internet connections immediately.
German Chamber of Industry Lost Vital Functions
Furthermore, he said that as a result, the website of IHK Mittleres Ruhrgebiet was down. He added that the offensive took down communication channels via telephone and e-mail. Accordingly, digital services are currently not available.” He didn’t say how long the issue would continue.
DIHK comprises of 79 chambers representing companies within the German state. It has over three million members with businesses ranging from small shops to large enterprises in the country. The organization deals with legal representation, consultation, foreign trade promotion, training, regional economic development, and offers support services to its members.
However, there has been no information revealing the cause of the cyberattack. According to a german news blog, Heise, the attack had no regional focus in Germany. Koln and several other Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Germany have acknowledged technical issues.
Incident responders claimed they could not verify the pattern of the attack but it is most likely a DDoS.
DIHK said they are working intensively to restore their IT systems. “We are currently working intensively on a solution and defense. After testing, they successively started up the IT systems so that services for companies are then available again.
“We will inform you on other channels where applications are functional. As soon as the security of our systems has been fully restored, you will also be informed,” they added.
A few months ago, German government sites were attacked by a Russian hackers group, Killnet. The attack was a response from Russia because Germany supported Ukraine with weapons. The German Defense Ministry, Parliament, Federal Police, and other state police authorities were among the victims of the cyberattack.
