The Brenner mega-tunnel, the Brenner Basis Tunnel, has been the target of a cyberattack. Confirming the news, which appeared in the Austrian newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung, the construction company, BBT SE, reported that in mid-October hackers managed to gain access to some of the data available online. Initial investigations by the authorities point to ‘Everest’, a Russian-speaking criminal hacker network known for ransomware and extortion operations.
The operating company BBT SE has confirmed the targeted cyberattack. Those responsible for the hack gained partial access to data “accessible via the internet”. The affected systems have been isolated, external experts have been brought in, and the authorities have been notified.
According to Brenner Basis Tunnel SE, at present, “the incident has not affected the construction of the tunnel”; however, it remains unclear what data has been compromised and how deeply the attackers managed to penetrate the network. The company declined to comment on whether negotiations were taking place with any extortionists. Thorough checks and investigations are currently underway.