Germany, in the person of its Interior Minister, has broken its silence when it comes to being a victim of foreign cyber attacks.
German Interior Minister, Horst Seehofer, has released intelligence reports suggesting Iran is to blame for recent cyberattacks against his nation, allegedly beginning back in 2014. Before this accusation, China had been the main culprit in cyberattacks against Germany; however, 2017 saw a huge increase in attacks coming from Iran, and German officials are now in the process of establishing effective countermeasures against Iran’s aggression.“We will maybe need changes to the law on the question of how to react actively, not just investigating, but also actively (responding),” Seehofer stressed.
German Intelligence Agency’s BfV’s chief, Hans-Georg Maassen, expressed his concern, “Getting a footing on the German market is not something for us to look at, but on the other hand we do look if we have the impression that behind the possible buyers there’s a foreign state that has political aims.”
Since 2015, Germany has been an advocate for the counter-nuclear proliferation of Iran—and especially its opposition against Iran’s missile manufacturing, cyber espionage, and other regional conflicts. BfV’s report further states, “The observed cyber campaigns are developing such efficacy that the operations initiated and guided by intelligence agencies to gain information could pose a danger to German companies and research institutions.”
Along with Iran and China, Russia is also involved with high-level cyber espionage against Germany. But cyber-espionage is not a space monopolized by just one country, as many state actors are now performing on the cyber warfare stage to establish their power and intimidation abilities. Propaganda is a game played by many nations and has become an expression of influence and power in today’s world. The report emphasizes, “Such disinformation and propaganda campaigns are meant to destabilize the German government and weaken its position as a proponent of extending (European Union) sanctions against Russia.”
