After a hacker attack: IT systems at the TU Berlin remain disrupted – knowledge

Employees and students at the Technische Universität Berlin cannot currently be reached by e-mail, and they cannot send e-mails themselves – at least if they use their TU account. This is the result of a hacker attack on the university’s computer systems that took place on Friday morning. It is still not foreseeable how long it will take until the systems are restored: State Secretary for Science Steffen Krach (SPD) said in the House of Representatives on Monday. He spoke of a “massive attack”. All servers with Windows environments are now shut down.

In everyday life this means: Not only are TU mails currently unusable, but the SAP system is also switched off, said Hans-Ulrich Heiss, TU Vice President for Teaching, on request. Therefore, students cannot register for exams, for example.

As bad as the University of Giessen in a hacker attack a year and a half ago, however, the TU was not hit. At that time, practically the entire university in Giessen was paralyzed.

Events via Zoom and Webex not affected

At the TU, on the other hand, teaching and research can continue, says Heiß. All events via Zoom and Webex are not affected. Students and teachers can also continue to access the central learning platform of the TU, where, for example, the teaching videos that are particularly important in digital teaching are stored. “We’re a little bit battered, but we can keep working.” In any case, students shouldn’t have any disadvantages if they can’t register for exams now. The TU recommends that all university members switch to private emails from providers who are safe in terms of data protection.

The attack was noticed because various encrypted files were suddenly in the wrong place in the system, as the RBB reported on Friday. However, sensitive data was never publicly available, explained the director of campus management systems to the broadcaster: “According to the premise of Safety First, we first secure the scene of the accident”. “Entire IT landscapes” would have to be examined.

The TU has filed a complaint

In the meantime, the TU has set up an IT emergency team headed by President Christian Thomsen. The TU is in contact with the relevant federal and state authorities, according to the website. The university also filed a complaint.

In the past there were repeated attacks on the IT infrastructure of public institutions in Berlin. A week-long attack on the Bundestag’s computer network, in which hackers stole large amounts of data, was particularly prominent in 2015. The group “Fancy Bear”, behind which the Russian military secret service GRU stands, is suspected.

In 2019, the Emotet virus paralyzed the computer system of the Berlin Court of Appeal. The effects were felt well into 2020. It was not until March 2021 that it became known through a request from FDP MP Bernd Schlömer that hardly any Berlin authority met the requirements for IT security.

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