The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) is aware “that various financial institutions are currently experiencing disruptions in card payment transactions,” the authority said. “The BSI is in contact with those affected and the responsible authorities.”
The reason for the disruption was problems with an IT service provider and with providers connected to it, said the spokesperson for the German banking industry. “We are currently analyzing the situation and the nature and extent of the disruption together with payment system operators and providers.” Those involved are working hard to resolve the disruption. Based on current knowledge, a cyberattack can be ruled out, they said in response to further enquiries.
The IT service provider affected is First Data, which belongs to the US group Fiserv, a company spokesperson said when asked. There is currently a technical problem with some processing services. “We are working hard to solve the problem and will inform our customers as soon as possible,” they said.
