With news of a new cyberattack or privacy breach coming almost daily, it’s easy to write it all off as simply part of the fabric of modern politics. But the attacks, often meant to destabilize institutions and intimidate politicians and others, reiterate the need for stronger protections, not shrugs of inevitability.
On Friday, it was reported that personal data, documents, private chats, and other sensitive information involving German politicians and public figures had been published online. Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as lawmakers from every political party in the German Bundestag (except the far-right Alternative for Germany) were victims of the attack, which is currently under investigation.
While the information was posted in the form of an Advent calendar on a Twitter account throughout December, the leak only gained attention on Thursday evening, seemingly after another, more popular account began sharing the information and it was reported to the German government.
Although, initial reports on the information released revealed no “bombshells,” it was deeply troubling. For example, among the material shared is a post with photos of predominate television comedian Jan Böhmermann’s children, along with personal phone numbers and chats, including the caption, “nice things you can have fun with.”
Even if it turns out that nothing of serious value was publicly compromised or used to malicious ends, this dump of personal data was clearly meant to undermine lawmakers and public trust. In Germany, as Merkel has set the stage for her exit, possibly pushing the country and the EU toward political turmoil, stirring up distrust and raising new questions about privacy, accountability, and the private lives of leaders is only likely to inflame tensions.
That’s especially true given earlier attacks in Germany, such as the 2015 incident in which data was stolen from government computers, and last year’s attack on secure IT networks. These signal repeated efforts to undermine the government and derail the political process.
As a political tool, even unsophisticated cybertheft can be powerful force of disruption. And those politicized breaches that fall flat, as this one seems like it might, should be taken as clear indicators of needed cybersecurity updates and protections. Dumps of personal chats, emails, and even private family photos should not become accepted realities of public service.
