Germany investigates cyberespionage campaign against government officials

On April 25, German authorities launched a formal investigation into a widespread phishing campaign targeting high-ranking officials, diplomats, journalists, and members of parliament, including those associated with Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The attackers utilized the messaging platform Signal to send deceptive notifications requesting sensitive account credentials. By gaining access to these accounts, the perpetrators could monitor private conversations, group chats, and shared files, or impersonate the victims. German government sources, supported by reporting from Der Spiegel, attribute the operation to Russian actors. The campaign is believed to have been active since February, with estimates suggesting that at least 300 accounts belonging to political figures may have been compromised. Government officials confirmed that the specific operation has since been halted. While the exact number of victims remains officially unconfirmed, the breach involved significant security risks for the German political establishment.