Hacker attack on police cell phones: Alert willingness civil servants!

Hacker attack on police cell phones: Alert willingness civil servants!

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Deutschland - A hacker attack on the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania police causes excitement and uncertainty. Interior Minister Christian Pegel (SPD) announced on June 26, 2025 that no data outflows have been found so far. The incident, which already moved into the spotlight on May 22, concerns the officials of the officials, known as MPol devices. These cell phones are now unusable for everyday police operation and old radio technology had to be used to ensure the operational readiness. The details of the attack and the necessary prevention measures were carried out comprehensively by n-tv.

The affected software that manages the mobile phones was separated from the Internet to prevent further access. While there are preliminary findings that indicate that no personal data has been stolen, the policemen's smartphones are still not usable. As a result, only a limited operating mode was allowed for phone calls, while all other functions of the phones are currently not available.

precautionary measures and recommendations

level recommends that the officials change their private WLAN passwords to minimize possible security risks. These recommendations are part of a number of precautionary measures that are taken, while the MPol devices are examined for malware in the coming weeks. The exchange of the affected server has also been decided as a precautionary measure in order to close any security gaps. These steps are necessary to restore confidence in IT security within the police, said Pegel. He noticed that the police had already invested millions in specially protected service cell phones that enabled quick online queries and that return to radio technology makes everyday work difficult.

The hacker attack is not isolated and tears up an existing problem within cyber security of public administrations. According to [Nordkurier] (https://www.nordkurier.de/regional/mecklenburg-vorpommern/hacker-Affoli-handys-in-mv-die-schwiersche- 3701340) there have been similar incidents, such as DDOS attacks on local authorities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Rumors about possible costs due to the failure of the devices are currently speculation, serious cost estimates can only be made after the examinations have been completed.

political reactions and future measures

The situation has already led to political reactions: despite the application for debates from the CDU and the AfD in the state parliament, they found no majority. The police union (GdP) has raised the alarm and demands more IT specialists to close the security gaps more comprehensively. This requirement becomes particularly urgent when you look at the recent clutches of criminal cyber activities in Germany, as mentioned in the [report of the police] (https://www.polizei.de/shahareddocs/kurzmeldungen/de/warnzianis/211102_cyber attack. It is recommended that public administrations and municipal companies update their security concepts and carry out regular training courses on cyber security.

The affected MPol devices are to be examined for possible malware in the coming weeks. If it turns out that no harmful programs are found, the smartphones could return to use. Until then, the police will continue to have to fall back on conventional radio technology, which significantly impairs efficiency in everyday life.