Cyber Incident Victim: Bundeskanzleramt
Date:
Jan 2015
Location:
Germany
Summary
A pro-Russian hacker group, CyberBerkut, claimed responsibility for a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that disrupted German government websites, including the Bundeskanzleramt and Bundestag. The group targeted the sites to protest Germany's financial and political support for Ukraine's government, which they accused of prolonging civil conflict in eastern Ukraine rather than rebuilding the nation. The incident coincided with planned diplomatic talks between German and Ukrainian leadership. CyberBerkut, known for previous breaches of Ukrainian-U.S. military communications, framed the attack as opposition to Western-aligned policies in Kiev. German officials acknowledged the attack's severity and implemented countermeasures but did not attribute blame. The group's activities align with broader tensions over Ukraine's geopolitical alignment.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On January 7, 2015, multiple German government websites experienced a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack that rendered them inaccessible. The attack specifically targeted the official website of the Bundeskanzleramt (German Chancellery) and the Bundestag (Germany’s federal parliament), both of which remained offline as of 8:50 a.m. EST that day. Pro-Russian hacker group CyberBerkut claimed responsibility for the attack, publishing a statement on their website accusing Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk of seeking financial assistance from the EU and International Monetary Fund to prolong the war in eastern Ukraine rather than rebuild the country. The timing coincided with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s scheduled meeting with Yatsenyuk in Berlin to discuss economic cooperation. CyberBerkut’s statement directly appealed to the German government and public to cease financial and political support for Ukraine’s leadership, whom they labeled a "criminal regime" responsible for civil war. German government spokesperson Steffen Seibert confirmed the incident as a "serious attack" originating from a multitude of external systems but declined to attribute blame. Technical countermeasures were implemented to mitigate the attack, though no further details about these measures were disclosed.
CyberBerkut, named after a disbanded Ukrainian special police unit that aligned with pro-Russian separatists, had previously targeted Ukrainian institutions, including hacking and publishing correspondence between Ukrainian and U.S. military officials. The group’s online presence suggested operations within Ukraine, potentially in eastern regions with ethnic Russian populations, though their communications were in English and Russian. Their activities consistently opposed Ukraine’s pro-European government, which came to power after the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. The attack occurred amid heightened tensions in eastern Ukraine, where over 5,000 people had died in conflicts between government forces and separatist groups seeking closer ties to Russia. Western nations, including the U.S. and France, had accused Russia of direct involvement in supporting separatists, though Russia denied these claims. The incident underscored the geopolitical stakes of Germany’s support for Ukraine’s economic realignment toward the EU, a policy divisive within Ukraine itself.