Swiss School Photos Stolen in Cyberattack on German Firm, Threatened for Darknet Release In mid-May, cybercriminals stole thousands of school photographs of Swiss students after breaching Portraitbox GmbH, a German company specializing in photo sales for professional photographers. The attackers accessed password-protected online galleries and threatened to publish the images on the darknet, according to Swiss news outlet Watson. The Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (PFPDT) confirmed the incident, noting that the breach affects a significant number of individuals in Switzerland, as many local school photographers rely on Portraitbox’s services. The PFPDT reported receiving data breach notifications from photographers handling both individual and bulk orders, including those from schools. Photographers have been instructed to notify affected parents through websites, emails, or direct communication with schools. Swiss authorities remain in contact with their German counterparts, with North Rhine-Westphalia’s data protection authority now overseeing the investigation. The full scope of the breach and potential misuse of the stolen images remains under assessment.