As early as March 15, the Helmholtz Zentrum München could no longer be reached. A cyber attack paralyzed everything. According to the police, officials had to be sent to ask because nobody was available.
The world-renowned Helmholtz Institute has 18 research locations in Germany on a huge range of topics, such as energy, earth and the environment, health, information, aviation, space travel and transport. On March 15, a cyber attack paralyzed the Munich branch of the Helmholtz Institute, the research center for environmental health. According to information from various media, most of the 50 employees on the 2.500-hectare campus could no longer be reached.
Cyber attack paralyzes research center
However, what exactly happened as a result of the cyber attack is left open by the Munich Helmholtz Center for Health and the Environment. A note on the website only explains the attack.
“On March 15, 2023, a cyber attack was detected at Helmholtz Munich. Extensive countermeasures were taken immediately. As a result, some employees can still be reached to a limited extent via email and telephone. The restoration of the IT and communication systems is being worked on with the greatest commitment. In order not to endanger the police investigative work, no further information can be communicated at the moment...."
Almost two weeks after the attack, it seems that the damage caused by the cyber attack is still being worked up. It is to be hoped that the institute will communicate more openly about the incident and inform any third parties who may be affected. The other Helmholtz centers are apparently not affected by the attack.
More at Helmholtz-Munich.de