April 25, 2026, 6:18 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
Messenger logins are only as secure as how they are handled. The case from the Bundestag shows why a well-crafted phishing message can be enough.
In political Berlin, a digital incident involving Signal is in the spotlight. According to information from colleagues at BILD, the messenger account of Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) was accessed by outsiders following a phishing attack. This raises the question of whether confidential content from her political environment was accessible.
Signal Access in the Spotlight
The case is sensitive due to Klöckner’s position. As Bundestag president, she is one of the country’s highest-ranking officials. Additionally, she is reportedly part of a CDU presidium group. This means that confidential agreements and internal messages with the party leadership could have fallen into the hackers’ hands.
Merz Was Informed
Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is also said to be a member of this group. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution reportedly informed him personally about the incident. His smartphone was checked accordingly. No irregularities were found with him. A CDU spokeswoman confirmed, according to the report, that a presidium group was affected. Julia Klöckner initially did not comment. The government and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution only referred to already known warnings about ongoing cyberattacks.
Trump’s Private Cell Number Circulates in Washington
Current Attack! Owners of These Routers Must Act
Wave of Attacks Against Politics
The incident is apparently related to a larger phishing wave. Security agencies have been observing targeted attacks on politicians and institutions for months. International services blame Russian actors. According to security circles, there are at least 300 affected individuals in Germany.
Also of interest: These foreign messengers can now be used with WhatsApp
Signal Groups at Risk
Internal warnings indicate that numerous Signal groups in the parliamentary environment could be read unnoticed. Experts also expect a high number of unreported cases. The case shows: Even encrypted messengers do not protect against every risk if attackers gain access.