Cyber ​​attack on Mönchengladbach's old people's homes: chaos in the system!

Cyber ​​attack on Mönchengladbach's old people's homes: chaos in the system!

In Mönchengladbach, the municipal social holding company, which is responsible for the care of six old people's homes, was victims of a massive cyber attack. Criminal hackers have paralyzed the company's IT systems, which leads to an interruption of the digital infrastructure. According to Borkener Zeitung , the company center and the old people's homes are currently not available by telephone, which communication with the outside world strong impaired.

The social holding company supplies several thousand meals to homes and schools every day, so that the care of the residents can be ensured despite the attack. Nevertheless, the Situation is tense because there is currently no forecast when the IT systems can be restored. The company, which employs around 900 people, has already filed a complaint with the police.

effects of the cyber attack

The cyber attack on the social holding is not isolated. In autumn 2023, similar malware was discovered, which seized the systems of an IT service provider in North Rhine-Westphalia. This attacked more than 70 municipalities and district administrations and led to millions of millions. According to Tagesspiegel , the affected service provider, Südwestfalen-IT (SIT), was also with a blackmail trojaner confronted.

The digital systems of the over 70 affected administrations were paralyzed, which meant that many citizens' offices and vehicle registration offices had to be closed at times. The SIT immediately capped the connections to prevent the malware from spreading. In addition, the authorities are in contact with SIT to analyze the situation and restore IT operation. The Cologne public prosecutor's office has initiated an investigation into the incident.

Investigations and security analyzes

The analysis of the malware for identifying the attackers and the security gaps used is underway. It is currently unclear whether the cyber criminal ransom demands want to make, although information in this regard is not provided by the investigative authorities. The incidents again show the vulnerability of local infrastructures towards cyber attacks and illustrate the need for robust security measures.

Overall, the situation in Mönchengladbach and the affected municipalities is tense, and the authority is required to find solutions as soon as possible in order to get the IT systems up and to ensure the safety of the digital infrastructure.