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Hacker attack on Hohen Neuendorf: Residents’ registration office online again!
Cyber attack on Hohen Neuendorf: Residents' registration office accessible again, State Criminal Police Office is investigating data misuse.
Hacker attack on Hohen Neuendorf: Residents’ registration office online again!
There has been a lot of excitement in the city of Hohen Neuendorf in recent weeks after a cyber attack on the city administration's servers caused considerable confusion. About a month ago, the city government was the victim of an attack that is being investigated for attempted extortion and computer sabotage. Fortunately, the residents' registration office is now back in normal operation and numerous citizen services are available online again. However, citizens can expect longer waiting times as a processing backlog has arisen. The Maz-Online reports that the registry office should also be operational again this week.
Since it is still unclear whether citizens' sensitive data was stolen during the attack, the city administration is asking its citizens to submit driving license applications directly to the district to avoid further delays. The State Criminal Police Office has started the investigation, which continues to drag on. The city administration is hoping for a quick reconnection to the state administration network in order to make communication and data exchange smooth again.
Cyber attacks and their challenges
Cyber attacks represent a significant risk for the municipal IT infrastructure. In particular, the [BSI](https://www.bsi.bund.de/DE/Themen/Oeffentliche-Verwaltung/sicherheitsberatung/Laender-und-Kommunen/Handreichung_Kommunale_IT- Krisen/handreichung_kommunale_it-kritiken.html) has created a guide in a current handout that is intended to help municipalities secure their ability to act. This guide is entitled “Municipal IT crises: Securing the ability to act” and offers valuable information on how to deal with cyber attacks.
An emergency and crisis organization is necessary to quickly deal with extraordinary situations and minimize the negative consequences of such attacks. Close cooperation between local administrative levels and IT operations is crucial in order to respond preventively to cyber threats. The handout also contains a lot of information on how to carry out acute measures, which can only be implemented successfully if employees are well trained and internal structures are clearly defined.
Protection against cyber threats
The challenge that many municipalities face is diverse. It is not only important to be prepared against current threats such as ransomware, but also to protect the IT infrastructure in the long term. The guide from the [Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief](https://www.bsi.bund.de/DE/Themen/Oeffentliche-Verwaltung/sicherheitsberatung/Laender-und-Kommunen/Handreichung_Kommunale_IT- Krisen/handreichung_kommunale_it-kritiken.html) is intended to help those responsible to improve regulatory requirements and security in IT.
The situation in Hohen Neuendorf is an impressive example of how important it is to prepare for such incidents and take appropriate measures. Increasing cyber threats make it critical that municipalities act proactively and not become complacent when it comes to securing their systems. In the end, it remains to be hoped that the affected registry office will soon return to its usual level of efficiency.