Berlin city government says it won't submit to extortion after pre-election cyberattack

BERLIN, Aug 28 - Berlin's city government will not allow itself to be extorted following a cyberattack on its network, Mayor Kai Wegner said in a statement on Friday, less than a month before the city-state holds elections.• In a joint statement, Wegner and Berlin's interior senator, Iris Spranger, said: "The state of Berlin will not submit to extortion," without giving further details.• Broadcaster RBB reported on Thursday evening that Berlin had received ransom demands for an unspecified amount following the attack.• Officials could not yet provide details on the content or scope of the affected data because the extent of the breach was still being examined, Wegner said at a press conference.• Spranger said the city's election infrastructure had not been affected and that, according to security officials, no data related to the election had been compromised.• Berlin is set to elect a new state parliament on September 20. Wegner - a conservative - said in July that he will not seek another term as mayor. REUTERS