**Die Linke**, also known as the Left Party, a German political party with representation in the Bundestag, has confirmed that it was targeted by a cyberattack resulting in data theft. The attackers, identified as the **Qilin** ransomware group, are now threatening to publish sensitive information. ### Attack Details On March 27th, **Die Linke** publicly acknowledged a cyber incident affecting its network. The party stated that the attackers are aiming to publish sensitive internal data and personal information of employees at the party headquarters. While the extent of the data breach is still under investigation, the party confirmed that its membership database was not compromised. "According to current findings, the attackers aim to publish sensitive data from the internal areas of the party organization as well as personal information of employees at the party headquarters," **Die Linke** stated in a press release. The party believes that the attack is not coincidental, suggesting potential political motivations behind the ransomware operation. ### Qilin's Claim On April 1st, **Qilin** added **Die Linke** to its list of victims on its data leak site, confirming their involvement in the attack. No data samples have been released yet, but this is a common tactic used to pressure victims into paying a ransom.  *Source: BleepingComputer.com* ### Response and Investigation **Die Linke** has notified German authorities and filed a criminal complaint. The party is also collaborating with independent IT experts to restore affected systems and enhance its security posture. ### Political Targeting This incident follows a pattern of politically motivated cyberattacks in Germany. In 2024, **Mandiant** reported that **APT29**, a Russian-linked hacking group, targeted **CDU**, another major political party, using **WineLoader** malware.