Illegal Activities - CDU's cyber attack extends to include Friedrich Merz's data.
In regards to the significant cyber attack on the CDU network, Friedrich Merz's personal information was also taken, as per party reports. The CDU received word from investigators that "Friedrich Merz's calendar data had been compromised," an official from the party told the German News Agency. Further specifics were withheld as investigations are still ongoing.
Both the North Rhine-Westphalia Criminal Investigation Office and the Central and Liaison Office for Cybercrime in North Rhine-Westphalia have initiated investigations, the CDU spokesperson further explained. This development came about as the IT subsidiary of the federal party is situated in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Friedrich Merz on CDU's Cyber-Attack
The CDU's cyber attack first surfaced earlier this month. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Federal Office for Information Security subsequently began an investigation. As part of a precautionary measure, sections of the party's IT framework were disconnected from the network. Earlier announcements indicated that the central membership database was also impacted.
Merz remarked soon after the event in early June that this was the most formidable IT attack experienced by a political party in Germany. It involved sizeable, highly advanced attacks. "We must safeguard ourselves by employing every resource at our disposal," the CDU leader stated. No information on the repercussions or the culprits was given at that time due to active inquiries.
Suspicions Fall on Russia
The SPD underwent a cyber attack last year as well. In this instance, email accounts at party headquarters got hacked. The federal administration appraises a Russian military intelligence service unit as accountable for the earlier mentioned breach. The Foreign Office convened a senior Russian diplomat in early May and instructed the German ambassador to Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, to return to Berlin for a week-long consultation.
