Private info of German politicians leaked in hack

German authorities on Friday said they were investigating a hacking attack that saw the personal details of numerous politicians and media personalities shared on the social media.

Hackers managed to get hold of several telephone numbers, private addresses, party memos, personal banking information and family information belonging to several politicians affecting most political parties in the country apart from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), Efe news reported.

"Hacking attack on politicians: The BSI (German Federal Office for Information Security) is currently closely examining the case in coordination with other federal agencies," the BSI said in a tweet.

"According to initial information, there is no concern (for the security) of governmental networks," it added.

The German media said that the private details were published over the Christmas period but only garnered public attention on Thursday.

The apparent hack did not only affect members of Germany's Bundestag, the country's lower Parliament, but also President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, several public figures and NGO leaders.

Notable cases included sports journalist Hajo Seppelt, who broke the Russian doping scandal, and comedian Jan Bohmermann, who in 2016 sparked controversy with a satirical swipe at Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

--IANS

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