Germany's Robert Koch Institute, which is in charge of keeping national count of COVID-19 cases, was hit by a DDoS attack on October 22, the Federal Information Technology Center (ITZBund)'s spokesman confirmed to Sputnik
BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th October, 2020) Germany's Robert Koch Institute, which is in charge of keeping national count of COVID-19 cases, was hit by a DDoS attack on October 22, the Federal Information Technology Center (ITZBund)'s spokesman confirmed to Sputnik.
Last Thursday morning, the infectious disease institute's website was inaccessible to users.
"At present, it is not clear who is behind this attack. We continue analyzing the data at our disposal and reserve the right to take further measures," Holger Lehmann said.
In the early hours of Sunday, the Robert Koch Institute's building in Berlin was also targeted in an arson attempt. Unknown people attempted to torch it, smashing a window. The fire was promptly extinguished, and no one sustained injuries. Back then, the police did not rule out political motives behind the attack.
The incidents come as Germany, like other countries in Europe, struggles to tackle the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, the Robert Koch Institute reported 14,964 COVID-19 cases, the highest one-day rise since the onset of the pandemic. According to media reports, Chancellor Angela Merkel eyes a partial lockdown from November 4, which will see restaurants and bars closed but keep schools, shops and hairdressing salons open.
