A cyberattack has crippled key Berlin city departments, leaving tens of thousands without access to welfare payments and essential services while investigations continue.

Thousands of Berlin residents are feeling the impact of a major cyberattack that brought two city government departments offline over a week ago. The breach, which was detected on August 14, forced authorities to disconnect affected agencies from the network to preserve security, leaving vital services such as housing assistance and digital applications inaccessible.

Among the most heavily affected are over 50,000 eligible households unable to receive their housing benefits. Critical services supporting children and youth, such as funding for school or daycare trips, have also been disrupted. Additionally, administrative functions including property database access, tree removal permits, and building scaffolding requests remain non-operational, creating widespread delays across the city.

Berlin’s cybercrime unit, the state prosecutor’s office, and the federal cybersecurity agency are investigating the attack, with criminal proceedings now underway. While city officials insist the affected departments are operational internally, there is no clear timeline for restoring public-facing digital services. Authorities have prioritized finding solutions to mitigate the impact, particularly for essential benefits and programs.