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Ransomware attacks in Germany: 410 confirmed incidents, 2018 to 2026

// CONFIRMED RANSOMWARE ATTACKS · COUNTRY

Ransomnews has confirmed 410 ransomware attacks in Germany between October 2018 and August 2026, each one verified against a public source such as a breach notification, regulatory filing, court record or press report. That is 4.3% of the 9,520 confirmed incidents in the dataset. So far in 2026, 53 have been confirmed, against 70 in 2025 and 63 in 2024. The most affected sector is manufacturing, with 84 confirmed victims (20%). Berlin is the city with the most confirmed victims, at 21. Where the operator is attributed, SafePay leads with 21 confirmed victims. A ransom payment is on the public record in 3 cases and a refusal in 84; the outcome is unrecorded in the remaining 323.

410Confirmed incidents
532026 year to date
14Sectors hit
3%Paid, where outcome is public
420,187Records exposed (12 disclosed cases)

Confirmed ransomware attacks in Germany by year

The current year is a partial count. Confirmation lags the attack itself, so recent months keep filling in after the fact; read a low figure for the latest year as incomplete rather than as a decline.

Source: ransomnews.com
YearConfirmed attacksRansom paid (public)Ransom refused (public)
2018200
2019612
20204304
202149112
202247018
202377119
20246307
202570015
2026 (year to date)5307
ransomnews.com2201862019432020492021472022772023632024702025532026
Confirmed ransomware attacks in Germany per year. Source: Ransomnews Confirmed Ransomware Attacks Dataset.

Which ransomware groups attack organisations in Germany most

The operator is attributed in 267 of the 410 confirmed incidents. Counts are confirmed victims, not leak-site claims, so they run well below the totals the groups publish about themselves. Group names link to the live Ransomtracker profile where one exists.

Most active groups by confirmed victims

Where the confirmed attacks in Germany fall

Most affected sectors

Cities with the most confirmed victims

  • Berlin21 5%
  • Hamburg15 4%
  • Munich13 3%
  • Karlsruhe11 3%
  • Bremen7 2%
  • Essen7 2%
  • Frankfurt6 1%
  • Giessen6 1%
  • Stuttgart6 1%
  • Darmstadt5 1%

Ransom payment outcomes in Germany

Among the 87 confirmed incidents in Germany where the outcome is on the public record, 3 paid and 84 refused, a disclosed payment rate of 3.4%. The remaining 323 carry no public statement either way. Victims that pay have every incentive to stay quiet and public bodies are the most likely to announce a refusal, so treat this as the disclosed rate, not the true one. The ransomware payment rate analysis explains how the disclosed rate has moved since 2018 and how it compares with incident-response firm samples.

Largest confirmed ransomware attacks in Germany by records exposed

Record counts are recorded only where a named source disclosed them, which is the minority of cases, so this table ranks disclosed impact rather than true impact.

Source: ransomnews.com, verified against the linked public source
DateOrganisationSectorLocationRecordsGroupRansom paidSource
September 2024Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft (VBG)FinanceHamburg, Germany200,000—Unknownvbg.de
April 2026UnimedHealthcareWadern-Noswendel, Germany135,000—Unknownswr.de
October 2023Museum für NaturkundeGovernmentBerlin, Germany37,243—Unknowntagesspiegel.de
October 2022Kreisverwaltung Rhein-Pfalz-KreisGovernmentRhein-Pfalz-Kreis, Germany15,000Vice SocietyNowochenblatt-reporter.de
December 2024MVZ Herz-Lungen-Praxis Hamburg-BergedorfHealthcareHamburg, Germany12,000—Noshz.de
July 2021Spreadshirt, Inc.TechnologyLeipzig, Germany10,248—Unknownoipc.ab.ca
August 2022ContinentalManufacturingHanover, Germany5,365LockBitNobleepingcomputer.com
February 2026GVV Versicherungen AGFinanceCologne, Germany2,600—Unknownversicherungsbote.de
March 2023Storopack, Inc. (Storopack Hans Reichenecker GmbH)ManufacturingDietzenbach, Germany1,304Black BastaNoapps.web.maine.gov
November 2022Richard Wolf GmbHHealthcareKnittlingen, Germany846LockBitUnknownrichard-wolf.com

Most recent confirmed ransomware attacks in Germany

The 25 most recently confirmed of 410 incidents, newest first. Every row links to the public source it was verified against.

Source: ransomnews.com, verified against the linked public source
DateOrganisationSectorLocationRecordsGroupRansom paidSource
August 2026Statista GmbHOtherHamburg, Germany—Dire WolfUnknownstatista.com
August 2026Berlin Brandenburgische Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft eGOtherBerlin, Germany—QilinUnknownbbwbg.de
August 2026Stiftung Brandenburgische GedenkstättenGovernmentOranienburg, Germany——Unknownstiftung-bg.de
July 2026Verbandsgemeinde Rhein-NaheGovernmentBingen-Bingerbrück, Germany—LockBitNowochenblatt-reporter.de
July 2026rehaVital Gesundheitsservice GmbHHealthcareHamburg, Germany—QilinUnknownrehavital.de
July 2026ZTN-Süd WarthausenUtilitiesWarthausen, Germany——Unknownwochenblatt-news.de
July 2026Stadtverwaltung WriezenGovernmentWriezen, Germany——Unknownrbb24.de
July 2026Hahn AirportTransportationLautzenhausen, Germany—SafePayUnknownvolksfreund.de
June 2026GSW Gemeinschaftsstadtwerke GmbHUtilitiesKamen, Germany—QilinUnknowngsw-kamen.de
June 2026Badisches LandesmuseumGovernmentKarlsruhe, Germany—SafePayUnknownswr.de
June 2026⁠AWO Berlin Kreisverband Südost e.V.HealthcareBerlin, Germany—SafePayUnknownxn--awo-sdost-u9a.de
June 2026Caritasverband Koblenz e.V.HealthcareKoblenz, Germany—SafePayUnknowncaritas-koblenz.de
June 2026Hellmold & Plank GmbH & Co. KGTransportationGießen, Germany—SafePayUnknownhellmold-plank.de
June 2026Reha-Activ e.K.HealthcareRösrath, Germany—DragonForceUnknownreha-activ.de
June 2026Tourist-Information Mosel-Gäste-ZentrumGovernmentBernkastel-Kues, Germany——Unknownvolksfreund.de
June 2026Stadttheater GießenOtherGießen, Germany—The GentlemenNogiessener-allgemeine.de
June 2026NeuwogesGovernmentNeubrandenburg, Germany—INCNoneuwoges.de
June 2026Feuerwehr AllensbachGovernmentAllensbach, Germany—The GentlemenUnknownsuedkurier.de
May 2026Roth Industries GmbH & Co. KGManufacturingDautphetal, Germany—QilinUnknownroth-industries.com
May 2026Gut Heckenhof Hotel & GolfresortOtherEitorf, Germany—SafePayUnknowngut-heckenhof.de
May 2026GTF Freese (G. Theodor Freese GmbH)ManufacturingBremen, Germany—PayloadUnknownbutenunbinnen.de
May 2026Arbeitsgemeinschaft Wirtschaftlichkeitsprüfung Niedersachsen e.V. (ARWINI)HealthcareHannover, Germany—KairosNondr.de
May 2026Schulte-Lindhorst GmbH & Co.TransportationRietberg, Germany—QilinUnknowndie-glocke.de
April 2026Merlo Deutschland GmbHRetailBremen, Germany—LockBitUnknownmerlo.de
April 2026WG Neukölln eGOtherBerlin, Germany—DragonForceUnknowngwneukoelln.de

Frequently asked questions

How many ransomware attacks in Germany have been confirmed?

Ransomnews has confirmed 410 ransomware attacks in Germany since October 2018, including 53 so far in 2026. Each one is verified against a public source such as a breach notification, regulatory filing or press report. The true total is higher, because many victims never disclose; confirmed counts are a floor, not a ceiling.

Which ransomware group is most active in Germany?

SafePay, with 21 confirmed victims, followed by Black Basta (18) and Qilin (18). These are confirmed victims, not leak-site claims, counted among the 267 incidents where the operator is attributed.

Which sector is hit most by ransomware in Germany?

Manufacturing, with 84 confirmed incidents (20% of the total). Healthcare follows with 50, then Government with 46.

Which cities in Germany have the most confirmed ransomware attacks?

Berlin (21), Hamburg (15), Munich (13), Karlsruhe (11), Bremen (7). City is recorded where the victim organisation is headquartered or the incident was reported, so distributed organisations are counted once.

How often do ransomware victims in Germany pay the ransom?

Among the 87 confirmed incidents in Germany with a public outcome, 3 paid and 84 refused, a disclosed payment rate of 3.4%. Most victims never state whether they paid, and those who pay have the least reason to say so, so the disclosed rate understates real payment behaviour. The payment rate analysis tracks this figure since 2018.

What is the largest confirmed Germany ransomware attack by records exposed?

Verwaltungs-Berufsgenossenschaft (VBG) (Hamburg, Germany, September 2024), with 200,000 records exposed according to vbg.de. Record counts exist only where a source disclosed them, so this ranks disclosed impact.

Confirmed ransomware attacks by sector, country and year

Every page below is generated from the same verified dataset. See the full index.

By sector

By country

By year

By month, latest

How to read this page. Every incident counted here was verified by Ransomnews against at least one public source. Leak-site listings alone do not qualify, because operators inflate, duplicate and occasionally fabricate claims, so these totals are a defensible floor rather than a full census. Records exposed and ransom outcomes appear only where a named source disclosed them. The page is regenerated from the live database, which refreshes weekly. Cite as: Ransomnews Confirmed Ransomware Attacks Dataset, ransomnews.com, with a link to this page. Bulk access and methodology questions: [email protected]. See also the monthly ransomware statistics and the Ransomtracker.