After a Hacker Attack

“Do Not Respond”: AK Warns All Members

Hackers whose identities are currently unknown have attacked the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor (stock image).(Bild: A. Frank/peopleimages.com - stock.adobe.com)

Three weeks ago, as yet unknown hackers attacked the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor (AK). The perpetrators also gained access to AK members’ data. Now, the advocacy group is warning all of its 670,000 members in the state by mail.

In the coming days, all approximately 670,000 members of the AK in Upper Austria will receive mail from their advocacy group. “On Monday, August 10, 2026, cybercriminals attacked the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor. The police were notified immediately and a report was filed,” reads the opening of the rather formal letter, which is in the possession of the “Krone.”

The background is as follows: The hackers, who remain unknown, are believed to have also accessed data belonging to Chamber of Labor members. According to the General Data Protection Regulation, this obligates the Chamber of Labor to inform those affected about the stolen data and the resulting risk.

Chamber of Labor Warns of Fake News
However, it is still unclear exactly what data—and how much of it—the criminals extracted; “this cannot be determined due to the attackers’ deliberate efforts to cover their tracks,” the letter from the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor states. In any case, the advocacy group is now urging its members to exercise particular caution: “If you receive text messages, WhatsApp messages, or emails from a sender labeled ‘Upper Austria Chamber of Labor’ in which, for example, payments are offered to you, do not respond to these messages.” Under no circumstances should you disclose your bank details, the letter continues. And: “We are currently not contacting our members regarding payouts from bonus promotions or sweepstakes.”

Consultations for members are still available
The Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor itself is currently operating in a sort of emergency mode: Because the previous IT systems are still offline, employees have been provided with replacement laptops. As a result, the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor can now be reached again by email—the phone lines are open as usual, and in-person consultations are also available. All services for members are available without restriction, according to the Chamber of Labor.