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Website defacement of Ukrainian sites in January: "There is a special threat situation"
Photo: VALENTYN OGIRENKO / REUTERS
German security authorities are calling on critical infrastructure companies in particular to arm themselves against cyber damage caused by the escalating conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
According to information from the Reuters news agency, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has warned German companies twice in the past few days to take appropriate precautions.
"Against the background of the current situation in the Ukraine conflict, the association for the protection of the constitution has sensitized relevant bodies with regard to the IT infrastructure within the scope of its responsibility," the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution also said on request.
Officially, the BSI only wanted to say, with reference to the confidentiality of contacts with companies, that the assessment was coordinated with other authorities.
The content was not intended for publication and would therefore not be further commented on by the BSI, said a spokesman on request.
»International partner authorities have distributed comparable assessments to their respective target groups.«
However, the assessment sent to the companies, which Reuters was able to see, states: »There is a special threat situation.
This could worsen in the short term without warning.« Alluding to earlier incidents, it is said that further sabotage attacks on Ukrainian IT systems are to be expected.
Due to the networking of many systems, collateral damage in Germany cannot be ruled out.
Politics, administration and companies important for Germany's infrastructure could be affected.
This includes, for example, the energy sector.
In recent years, the BSI has repeatedly drawn the attention of companies to the growing dangers of cyber attacks, which not only come from state actors but also from criminal groups.
According to the Reuters news agency, the BSI is now advising companies to ensure that their IT specialists are available in the event of an attack - if necessary by blocking vacations.
Contingency plans should be reviewed and software updated.
In addition, backup copies of all relevant systems should be created.
According to the BSI, many of the measures are necessary anyway.
The European Union has also responded to the threat of cyberattacks, Politico reports.
The so-called Cyber Rapid Response Team, a kind of intervention team for hacker attacks, was mobilized accordingly.
There should also be an option to send a team of IT experts to Ukraine.
pbe/Reuters