Universität der Bundeswehr München

Summary

A cyberattack was detected on a data center belonging to a Bundeswehr university in Munich, with attackers gaining access to a central IT service managed by the institution's computing center. The incident prompted an ongoing analysis and mitigation effort, with the center working under high pressure to assess the full extent of the compromise, though it remained unclear how deeply the university's infrastructure had been breached. A spokesperson for the Bundeswehr's Cyber and Information Space Command confirmed the attack, noting that only structures within the university were affected and that these operated separately from Bundeswehr systems. While no data deletion or unauthorized encryption had been observed, reports indicated that personal information of students and faculty—including sensitive details such as bank account information and mobile phone numbers—may have been exposed. Affected individuals were notified about the incident.

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Description

On January 23, 2025, a cyberattack was detected against a data center of the Universität der Bundeswehr München (University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich). The attack targeted a central IT service operated by the university's data center, and the perpetrators successfully gained access to it according to the findings available at the time of reporting. Confirmation of the incident came from a spokesperson for the Kommando Cyber- und Informationsraum (CIR), the Bundeswehr command responsible, among other duties, for defending against digital threats against the armed forces. The spokesperson confirmed the attack in the evening, in response to an inquiry from heise online. Earlier that same day, indications of the incident had already circulated through social media channels and through the Handelsblatt newspaper, which reported that personal data of students and instructors at the university were potentially affected, including sensitive information such as bank account details and mobile phone numbers.

The Kommando CIR stated that, as of the time of reporting, the data center of the Bundeswehr University in Munich was working under intense pressure on analyzing the incident and mitigating its consequences. The full extent to which the university's infrastructure had actually been compromised remained unclear at that stage. The spokesperson emphasized that only structures within the Bundeswehr University itself were affected, and that these operated separately from those of the Bundeswehr itself. No data deletion or unauthorized encryption had been identified at the time of the statement. The spokesperson did not disclose whether internal data had been exfiltrated. Those potentially affected by the incident were thoroughly informed about it, according to the CIR spokesperson, and no restrictions were reported to result from the attack at that point.

The Universität der Bundeswehr München is, alongside the Helmut-Schmidt-Universität in Hamburg, one of two universities belonging to the Bundeswehr. It is located at the former Neubiberg airfield and offers study programs including a bachelor's degree in computer science and a master's degree in cybersecurity. It also teaches intelligence studies and security studies, and a portion of its student body is designated for or already employed by the Bundesnachrichtendienst (Federal Intelligence Service). The university collaborates closely with other entities within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Defence in its research and teaching activities. A cooperation between the university and the Cyber-Innovation-Hub (CIHbw) had recently been announced, aimed at bringing together students and researchers with the small innovation unit, which operates outside normal Bundeswehr structures and addresses digitalization issues such as experimental drone defense, a meta-drone operating system, and conceptual questions including the role of Software Defined Defence. According to a statement by the university's president, Eva-Maria Kern, the goal of this collaboration is for students and researchers of the university to work together with the Cyber-Innovation-Hub to develop innovative solutions for the Bundeswehr.

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