Cybersecurity in Germany – How Jan Böhmermann Is Shaking Things Up and What Measures IT Security Expert and CEO of the CISO Alliance Ron Kneffel Is Proposing

In a recent interview with CSO Germany, IT security expert Ron Kneffel sharply criticized the German government’s failed cybersecurity policy, once again highlighting the challenges we will face in the coming years, including political ones. This interview was published two days before Böhmermann’s broadcast. “German politicians are shirking their responsibility for security in the digital space. It is up to companies and ultimately us, the citizens, to deal with it,” says Kneffel in the interview. He criticizes the cybersecurity measures taken so far and the overly lax regulations that encourage companies to be negligent with sensitive data. But what needs to change here? Among other things, Kneffel would like to see a realignment of the political IT security agenda, a mandatory information security officer for companies, a program to promote young talent for future IT security experts, and the early integration of IT security topics in schools. CISOs must anchor the importance of IT and data security in the consciousness of politicians and companies, and politicians must actively invest in cybersecurity. Together with the CISO Alliance, he is planning new working groups, workshops, and lectures to raise awareness and actively prepare companies for emergencies.

In line with this, there is also the latest news that the Bundestag is to decide on new tasks for the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) before the end of this year. This is according to a response from the federal government to a parliamentary inquiry from the Union faction. However, it remains to be seen what this will mean in practice and whether there will be additional funding in the medium term for the BSI’s new role as a central agency in the federal-state relationship.

Especially in light of last week’s events – with a presumably targeted attack on the infrastructure of Deutsche Bahn and the above-mentioned criticism of the staffing situation within the BSI surrounding the revelations made by ZDF Magazin Royale – the upcoming decision by the Bundestag is naturally very interesting.

We can only hope that the situation will improve quickly, because it is already five past midnight (see Manuel Atug from AG KRITIS, who described last week’s disruption as a “test run”).