In Germany, expanded the powers of security forces to combat cyberattacks

The Bundestag (parliament of Germany) adopted a bill that gives the country’s law enforcement agencies powers to conduct so-called active cyber defense. The document was approved by the votes of deputies of the ruling coalition within the bloc of the Christian Democratic and Christian Social Unions (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).

As TASS notes with reference to the DPA agency, opposition factions – Alternative for Germany (AfD), the Greens and the Left Party – opposed the initiative. Additional tools to repel cyber attacks will be provided to the Federal Office for Information Security, the Federal Police and the Federal Criminal Police Office. Among other things, security forces will be able to prohibit the operation of information systems from which the threat emanates, redirect Internet traffic, read, delete or change data.

Germany is increasingly being targeted by cybercriminals. According to the latest estimates by the federal information technology association Bitkom, the annual damage to the country’s economy from cyberattacks ranges from €160.4 billion to €205.8 billion. The representative of the SPD Daniel Baldi noted that even refrigerators in supermarkets are subjected to cyber attacks, and cybersecurity issues concern everyone.

Deputy from AfD Steffen Janich pointed to the dispersion of competences between departments and reported on the inadmissibility of a long shutdown of IT systems of enterprises at the request of security forces. Green MP Konstantin von Notz described the initiative as belated and leading to the creation of duplicate structures, while Left Party spokesman Jan Krampe accused the authorities of uncontrolled allocation of powers to interfere in information systems and irresponsible approach to software vulnerabilities.

For the final entry into force of the bill must receive the approval of the Bundesrat (chambers of the federal states). Earlier, the Bundesrat has already announced the need to finalize the document, pointing to the excessive burden on business and calling for proportionate sanctions for violation of obligations to assist the authorities and the prohibition on disclosure of information about activities. The German government assured that the costs of the companies are justified and should be considered taking into account a significant increase in the level of security. In Germany, two supermarket chains were hacked on refrigerators