Hacker attack on police cell phones: Dangerous security gaps uncovered!

Hacker attack on police cell phones: Dangerous security gaps uncovered!

A hacker attack on the police in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has caused a stir in recent weeks. The investigation, which has been ongoing since the beginning of June, provides alarming insights into the security gaps that attackers were able to exploit. How n-tv reported, the authorities are currently concerned about a possible data leak. In particular, this concerns data from work cell phones that contain sensitive information such as phone numbers and names of police officers.

After the first alarm, when the use of vehicle information had to be suspended for a few days, it has now been discovered that many of the cell phones are still unusable. Old radio technology is now being used again and some officers are receiving replacement devices. It is still unclear whether there was a serious data leak, but there is evidence of a cyber attack that specifically collected files from the police cell phone server.

The background to the attack

The background to the attack is complex. Loud daily news The Interior Ministry has already confirmed that no investigation or personnel files are affected. According to the investigation, the hackers exploited two security vulnerabilities in the software used, through which they were able to collect data unnoticed from May until the server was closed on May 22nd.

The problem was that warnings about these security gaps were not forwarded to the responsible authorities in a timely manner. An email with information ended up with a former employee of the state office who was no longer in a position to pass on the information. This shows how important fast and clear communication within the authorities is.

Costs and impacts

The financial consequences could be enormous. The damage caused by the need to purchase new servers is estimated at 200,000 to 250,000 euros, but the total damage could run into the millions if many cell phones have to be replaced. This would not only be a blow to the budget, but also to the efficiency of the police. Police communication is currently carried out via radios, which slows down operations.

The police union criticizes the slow dissemination of information and demands more transparency from those responsible. Officials feel they are being left in the dark as information about the incident is only communicated piecemeal. It cannot be ruled out that these types of attacks are not just isolated cases. Citizens' data is also at risk when such attacks on authorities occur.

The need for cyber security

In light of these events, it is clear that cyber attacks on municipalities and authorities are becoming more and more common. How Grant Thornton notes, this pressure on digitalization is becoming greater and greater throughout Germany. This makes it all the more important to invest in IT security, make employees aware of cyber threats and regularly backup critical data.

The current situation shows that authorities urgently need to develop a comprehensive cyber defense strategy. This is the only way to preserve digital sovereignty and protect the security of citizens in the best possible way. Everyone is called upon to do their part to ensure that the police and other important organizations can carry out their tasks without additional obstacles.