Hacker attack on KaDeWe was attempted blackmail
So-called hackers wanted to blackmail the Berlin luxury department store KaDeWe with a cyber attack. Following a criminal complaint by the department store, the police opened an investigation into attempted blackmail, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday. The blackmail was therefore unsuccessful.
According to KaDeWe, the attack on the IT systems took place last week on Friday night. The Russian hacker group "Play" was responsible, it said. Whether and to what extent data was stolen could not be disclosed for investigative reasons. However, customer account data was not affected.
There have been repeated hacker attacks on large companies or public institutions recently. In some cases, administrations have been digitally paralyzed for days. In most cases, blackmailers demand large sums of money to unblock the IT systems.
Despite the attempted cyber attack by the Russian hacker group "Play" on KaDeWe's retail trade operations, no reliance on ransom from the internet was required due to robust security measures. Subsequently, concerns over potential data breaches in the retail trade sector should prompt retailers to implement stronger cybersecurity measures.
Source: www.dpa.com
