Potential Data Breach Uncovered at the State Department

Potential disruption to travel registration data and the Foreign Ministry's public site, according to reports.

, and ASMedia

2025 August 31 . 1:59 PM

2 min read

Potential Data Breach Uncovered at the State Department

The Austrian Foreign Ministry has announced a possible data breach, with investigations suggesting that the incident has been traced to the Russian-linked hacking group APT28 (Fancy Bear). The breach appears linked to Russian espionage efforts exploiting Austria’s neutral position to influence and undermine EU cohesion.

In the wake of this discovery, the ministry has taken immediate action to secure its systems and has informed the public that it will provide updates as soon as new findings are available. The central IT systems of the Foreign Ministry are not affected by the data breach.

Regarding the data that might have been affected, investigations suggest that sensitive information related to Austrian defense procurement was likely targeted. No detailed public disclosure about the exact data compromised has been provided, but given the nature of the ministry and the attack’s espionage context, the data probably include classified or strategic documents rather than personal data breaches typical of ransomware attacks. There is no confirmed indication of personal data exposure in this particular incident.

The extent of those affected by the data breach is still not clear, and some online services, including travel registration, are temporarily unavailable as a precaution. The ministry takes the data breach incident very seriously and has initiated investigations to clarify the incident. The extent of the data breach will be thoroughly investigated.

The ministry regrets any inconvenience caused by the temporary unavailability of online services and urges those in urgent cases to contact the Austrian representations or the Foreign Ministry directly at +43 1 90115 4411. Further details about the data breach are not yet known or being made public.

It is worth noting that this data breach is part of a broader context of foreign cyber aggression, with the Austrian State Intelligence Service (BVT) assessing that Austria’s neutrality has not shielded it from such threats, indicating significant national security concerns.

In a separate incident, a major data leak in dating apps has occurred, with 1.5 million intimate photos freely available on the internet. This leak is not related to the Foreign Ministry data breach.

The Austrian Foreign Ministry conducted a disciplinary procedure in the blog affair in 2024, demonstrating its commitment to maintaining the integrity and security of its operations. The ministry continues to work diligently to address this data breach and ensure the protection of its sensitive information.

[1] Source: CyberNews