Germany shores up defenses against Internet attacks

Germany on Wednesday launched a security strategy aimed at shielding

the country from Internet attacks. A so-called cyber defense center is to
analyze threats and coordinate emergency responses to attacks."The
Internet has become a crucial infrastructure," German Minister for the
Interior Thomas de Maiziere said. "If it fails, it will be critical for the
country. Its like electricity or water - we depend on the Internet working
properly."
"There are almost daily attacks on government authorities that we think
almost certainly emanate from foreign countries," de Maiziere explained.
"As always in espionage, attempts are made to disguise who is behind it.
And concealment on the Internet is particularly simple."
Threat to government and economy
The defense center is to be closely linked with Germany's Federal Criminal
Police Office (BKA) and Federal Intelligence Service (BND) as well as the
countrys emergency management agency. The Economics Ministry will
cooperate with the center to exchange information about attacks on
companies and corporate interests.Economics Minister Rainer Brderle
said that companies lose billions each year as a consequence of Internet
attacks and illicit technology transfer."The Internet can be used to cripple
our air traffic control, but also to obtain and misuse development and
construction plans," he said.
Overall control will lie with the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).
"We must observe exactly when weaknesses develop into specific
dangers," BSI President Michael Hange said. "Even though there may be a
new threat every two seconds, it doesn't necessarily threaten every
system. We must be very tuned in to find out which systems are affected."
International networks
At the presentation of the defense strategy, BSI specialist Hartmut
Isselhorst illustrated how a possible threat could work. "The perpetrator
could be in Greenland. He might have his command and control servers in
Central America or Russia. He could have hijacked the computers that he
is using for the attack, which could be spread around the world." "With all
of that, he could attack a server in Germany and store the data he has
exploited on a server in Australia, which he can pick up another time,"
Isselhorst explained. Interior Minister De Maiziere admitted in his
announcement that there was a need for European countries to work
together in order to tackle Internet crime on an international level.
Cooperation so far had been "very fragmented."
By: Marcel Furstenau