IT service provider organizations facing advanced, targeted assaults, laments BSI head.
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Germany's top cybersecurity authority, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), has raised concerns over increasing cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure, including power plants and power grids. Claudia Plattner, the BSI president, underscored the need for robust IT security measures to protect these facilities, as well as private households, against such digital threats.
In a statement to the Funke media group, Plattner pointed out the growing attack surfaces for cybercriminals, emphasizing that Germany has faced sophisticated attacks, such as on IT service providers, in the past. These attacks are characterized by their well-planned strategies and the complexity of the perpetrators' tactics.
With the power supply becoming more decentralized due to the construction of small power plants and wind farms, Plattner expressed concern about the varying levels of protection provided to these facilities, which may be less secure against external attackers than large power plant operators. On the other hand, the power supply is being further digitalized, requiring adequate protection to prevent potential cyber attacks.
Plattner also addressed the recent mass power outage on the Iberian Peninsula, assuring that Germany's power grid is currently considered safe and stable, with extensive protective measures and redundancies in place. However, she also highlighted the need for increased investment in IT security.
Recent intelligence suggests that Russia is a significant source of cybersecurity threats, with hackers from the APT-28 group exploiting IP camera networks, particularly in critical infrastructure operators, as a precursor to sabotage. While the specific strategies used in attacks on IT service providers are not detailed in available reports, the concern regarding Russian actors using sophisticated tactics to breach critical systems is evident.
- The Commission, echoing the concerns raised by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) in Germany, has also been involved in the preparation of a draft law on the protection of the environment, recognizing that data-and-cloud-computing technology used in such activities could potentially be targeted by cybersecurity threats.
- Amidst the growing concern over cybersecurity, politics, and general news are increasingly discussing the need for robust protections in the realm of data-and-cloud-computing, particularly in the context of power supply, where decentralization and digitalization open up new vulnerabilities.
- As cyber attacks on critical infrastructure continue to pose a significant threat, the discussions around the draft law on the protection of the environment cannot overlook the importance of cybersecurity, technology, and its role in safeguarding our society, including power plants, power grids, and even private households.
