As a result of the cyber-storm on the network of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), which occurred in early June this year, the party is still faced with problems in restoring its IT infrastructure.
The problems are affecting the work with the database of party members, leading to difficulties in organizing the process of nominating candidates for elections to the Bundestag. The Berlin Land Council of CDU has stated that the full restoration of membership data is still not possible, making it challenging to legitimately invite members to nomination meetings.
It is anticipated that the full restoration of all data will be completed by mid-September. As a result, the deadline for nominating candidates has been extended until the end of November.
The cyber attack also impacted the personal data of party leader Friedrich Merets, including information from his calendar. He described the attack as “The most serious blow to the IT infrastructure of a political party in Germany.” In response, the party temporarily shut down significant parts of its network to reduce the risk of data leakage.
The CDU Central Headquarters has urged regional departments to refrain from holding assemblies and party congresses until full access to membership data is restored. In cases where a meeting is necessary, extended deadlines are recommended to complete all procedures.
This incident is not the first cyber attack on German political parties. In 2023, a similar attack targeted the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The increase in such attacks, particularly from foreign states, is raising concerns as the country approaches upcoming elections.