Federal government in cybersecurity chaos: alarm level red!

Federal government in cybersecurity chaos: alarm level red!

This week several worrying incidents have come into focus in Germany. After the websites of the state government of Saxony-Anhalt were paralyzed, there was also a hacker attack on the hospital group of Ameos. These attacks throw a bright light on the security situation of the IT systems of the federal government and its authorities, which, according to a current report by the Federal Audit Office, are anything but safe. Only 10 % of the federal data centers fulfill the necessary minimum standard for IT security, such as mdr reported.

The report addresses the serious defects in IT security in the federal administration. This lacks an adequate emergency power supply, and there are no tests about whether the backups work in an emergency. The result of these grievances is described as "devastating". In view of the many actors in the area of cyber security, a total of 370, there is a real “jungle” of responsible, which makes the coordination and effectiveness of the measures difficult.

uniform concept required

A clear distribution of tasks between the Interior and the Digital Ministry is to be determined until August, while Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt proposed a Cyber defense center. Experts express their concern about the lack of central control and incomplete communication via cyber incidents. "It is essential that we are finally setting binding standards here", says a specialist in an interview with mirror .

In the context of general cyber security in Germany, the management report of the Federal Office for Security in Information Technology (BSI) speaks of other alarming trends. The professional way of working of cybercriminals and the increase in ransomware attacks knows no limits. In the first half of 2024 there was a significant increase in high-volume DDOS attacks, with small and medium-sized companies and municipalities particularly affected. A blatant incident in October 2023, which affected 72 municipalities and 20,000 jobs, shows how serious the situation is actually, so bsi .

collaboration as a key to security

The measures of the BSI for early detection and warning of threats are a step in the right direction. However, the federal administration remains vulnerable without the introduction of a comprehensive and structured cyber defense. It is time that those responsible also act, because the cyber world does not sleep.