The city of Kaufbeuren, in Germany, faced a cyber attack targeting its Instagram account, perpetrated through a phishing campaign. In a recent finance committee meeting, Lord Mayor Stefan Bosse informed council members about the incident, revealing that unknown individuals tricked a city employee into updating Instagram’s terms and conditions through direct messages. Subsequently, the perpetrators seized control of the account, blocking access and rendering it invisible to users.
Although the attackers demanded payment, Bosse made it clear to the committee that the city would not comply with their demands, characterizing the incident as a criminal process. While refraining from explicitly labeling it as blackmail, he underscored the severity of the situation. The city administration disclosed that meta-support, the parent company overseeing Instagram and Facebook, is actively working to restore the account’s visibility.
This incident highlights the vulnerability of organizations to cyber threats, even in seemingly mundane tasks like updating social media terms. The city administration emphasized the importance of exercising extreme caution in all online activities, urging users and administrators to remain vigilant against potential phishing attempts. As efforts continue to restore normalcy to Kaufbeuren’s Instagram account, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect against malicious attacks.
