AfD leak: Mirko Ross analyses the leaked data

Hundreds of thousands of emails, reportedly from the AfD, are circulating online. The party has confirmed a cyberattack on its members’ email accounts. It says the attack was detected quickly and stopped, and it is reviewing the publication. Whether the data is genuine is still unclear.

Signs of hacktivism

Mirko Ross, a former hacker who now runs a cybersecurity company and works as a security consultant, including for public bodies, has already analysed part of the material. Speaking to the F.A.Z., he explains why the data goes further than what the party has described so far.

According to Ross, the way the data has been prepared suggests that those who published it belong to the hacktivism spectrum, meaning hackers who act out of political motives. He also shares his view on the possible aim of the leak and who could be behind it, and on what stands out about where the data comes from.

Read the full article in the F.A.Z.: “Soll so die AfD diskreditiert werden?” (in German)

Mirko Ross in F.A.Z. articel - AFD Leak
Konrad Buck

Konrad Buck

Head of Press and Media Relations

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We offer journalists access to in-depth background information beyond our publicly available materials, including:
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I speak openly, fact-based, and without PR spin. I am a former IT journalist with decades of experience in the IT and cybersecurity space, familiar with the highs and lows of the industry. Off-the-record discussions are possible upon request.