Major German business intelligence provider hit by cyberattack
The ransomware attack disrupted users’ access to news articles, business eBooks, and vital market information, impacting users across media organisations, universities, and libraries.
GBI Genios, a German business intelligence provider, has been the victim of a severe ransomware attack, which has effectively crippled the company’s systems, rendering its services inaccessible to its widespread user base.
The company serves as a comprehensive hub for news articles from 400 publishers, business-focused eBooks, and relevant market information. Additionally, the company offers IT services tailored for research, business intelligence, and data analytics. As a key provider of research materials and business intelligence services, its outage has reverberated across various sectors, including media organisations, academic institutions, and libraries.
Expressing the gravity of the situation, GBI Genios took to its LinkedIn profile to announce, ‘Due to a massive hacker attack (ransomware attack), our systems are unfortunately currently unavailable. We are working at full speed on the remedy, but unfortunately, we have to assume an outage for several days.’ This disruption not only affects access to the company’s website and servers but also limits its communication channels, leaving users uncertain about when normal operations might resume.
The ramifications of this cyber incident extend beyond GBI Genios itself, with affiliated services also experiencing disruptions. For instance, Kempten University Library reported that its WISO database and ebooks in the library catalogue have become inaccessible due to the incident.
Similar problems ensued across other libraries in Germany, indicating the widespread impact of the Genios outage. According to reports, institutions like the University of Giessen and Heilbronn City Library were also affected by the incident, exacerbating concerns about the duration and extent of the disruption.
About author
Salomé Petit Siemens
Ms Salomé Petit Siemens is currently pursuing a dual master's degree in international security between Sciences Po and the London School of Economic and Political Sciences. Previously, Salomé worked as an Assistant Analyst in the Cyber Programme at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies and later as a trainee and expert at the European Commission Joint Research Centre in the Technology Innovation in Security unit.