Cyberattack Disrupts Dresden State Art Collections Digital Infrastructure
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The Dresden State Art Collections (SKD) in Germany shut down large parts of its digital infrastructure after a targeted cyberattack on January 21, 2026. SKD manages 15 world-renowned museums, including the Green Vault and the Old Masters Picture Gallery, which house masterpieces by Raphael and Rembrandt.
The breach disabled the museum network's phone lines, website, and internal digital services. The attack stopped all online ticket sales and closed the digital museum shop.
Тhe museums remain open to the public but visitors must pay for tickets and services with cash. The institution confirmed that tickets purchased online before the incident remain valid and can still be scanned at the door. The Saxon State Ministry for Culture and Tourism claims that the security systems protecting the physical art collections remain fully functional and unaffected.
The nature of the attack, any exposed data and number of affected individuals is not disclosed.
The museum association established an internal crisis team and is working with IT forensic experts to clean and rebuild the compromised systems. The Dresden Police Department and the Saxon State Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA) are investigating the breach and the Prosecutor General's Office in Dresden is also considering taking over the case. Officials have not yet identified the attackers or confirmed if a ransom was demanded.
