Switzerland: Play ransomware leaked 65,000 government documents
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) of Switzerland reported a data breach at Xplain, a Swiss technology provider for government entities, due to a ransomware attack by the Play gang on May 23, 2023. The breach impacted thousands of sensitive federal government files.
The Play gang claimed to have stolen documents, later publishing them on a darknet portal. The Swiss government confirmed the leak of 65,000 government documents out of 1.3 million files. Most affected were the administrative units of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP), with the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sport (DDPS) minimally affected.
Leaked documents included personal data, technical details, classified information, and passwords. The ongoing investigation, initiated on August 23, 2023, is set to conclude soon, with the results and cybersecurity recommendations to be shared with the Federal Council. The investigation's duration is attributed to the complexity of analyzing unstructured data and the large volume of leaked information.