The German statistics agency closed the computer network... and "a pro-Russian hacker group was responsible."

German media reported on the 16th local time that the Federal Statistical Office of Germany closed some computer networks due to hacking attacks.

The Office for National Statistics says it will close various underlying data collection and survey platforms until they are notified later, and the Federal Information Technology Security Administration is working on the details.

The hack has raised concerns as it comes three months before the early parliamentary elections in the federal parliament.

This is because the head of the Federal Statistical Office concurrently serves as the chairman of the election management committee, and the National Statistical Office is in charge of data management related to national elections.

Some suspect that the Russian side is targeting the German government's computer network.

A group of pro-Russian hackers stole 3.8 GB (gigabyte) of data from Germany's Federal Statistical Office and sold it in a closed internet space called "Darknet," daily Neuerhe Zeitung reported.

The German government acknowledged that the data from the National Statistical Office was circulating on the dark net, but insisted that "the National Statistical Office and the NEC's computer network are separate" and that there was no impact on preparations for the general election.

Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Germany and other Europe have suspected Russia first whenever hacking damage is confirmed.