Germany’s national bar association, the German Federal Bar (BRAK), is currently investigating a cyberattack that targeted its Brussels office. The attack was detected on August 2 and prompted the organization to initiate a forensic investigation into the incident. While BRAK has restored access to its email system, it plans to contact individuals whose data may have been accessed during the breach. The NoEscape ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the attack, following BRAK’s announcement of the ongoing investigation last week.
The cyberattack led to a failure of BRAK’s IT systems in its Brussels office, prompting the organization to sever all network connections as a precautionary measure. BRAK is actively working with external IT security experts to conduct a thorough forensic analysis and assess the extent of the damage caused by the attack. The incident has been reported to various authorities, including the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and law enforcement agencies.Ha
ckers from the NoEscape group managed to encrypt BRAK’s mail server and extract a significant amount of data, including communications from individuals contacting the Brussels office. The organization suspects that the stolen information may have been leaked. As part of its response, BRAK is cautioning individuals to be wary of emails that reference the organization, especially those requesting sensitive information such as bank account details. The investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being made to resume normal operations as soon as possible.
The NoEscape ransomware group, also known as N0_Esc4pe, gained attention earlier when it compelled Hawaiʻi Community College to pay a ransom after an attack. This group’s ransomware has been observed to be written in C++, setting it apart from other ransomware variants. Despite being relatively new, NoEscape has already targeted several victims, including a Belgian hospital and manufacturing companies in the United States and the Netherlands, underscoring its potential impact in the cybercrime landscape.
