Berlin Shuts Down Ransom Demand from Rhysida Hackers

The Rhysida ransomware group demanded $2 million in Bitcoin from Berlin's state government after hacking into their system. However, instead of paying, the city chose to refuse the demand and let the deadline pass.

As a result, the hackers published 5.7 terabytes of stolen data on the dark web. The total value of the ransom is approximately $2 million in euros, which translates to roughly $2.4 million based on Bitcoin's current price of around $79,902 per coin.

The city's chief digital officer, Florian Hauer, made it clear that Berlin would not give in to blackmail and prioritized the safety of its staff and residents. The deadline for payment expired on September 4, after which the hackers released the stolen data.