In his latest TV show (“ZDF Magazin Royal”), satirist Jan Böhmermann highlighted a potentially serious vulnerability in German cybersecurity. He addressed the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) with the accusation that it had connections to Russian secret services. Even though the facts were discovered several years ago and the allegations are not new, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser acted quickly: the boss, Arne Schönbohm, was dismissed from his position at the BSI.
Report taken seriously – immediate suspension
As Stern reports, Schönbohm was recently recalled by the Interior Ministry. Presumably in response to a report by ZDF magazine Royale, Germany's top IT security chief has to vacate his position, AFP learned from government circles. Over the course of the weekend, many media outlets reported on the heated mood in the Interior Ministry. The government took the report very seriously and wanted to examine all options for removing Schönbohm from office, according to the “Handelsblatt”. This decision was now quickly put into action.
Background information
The focus is on the – now former – head of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), Arne Schönbohm, reports “Golem”. Shortly after the ZDF broadcast, he was dubbed a “cyber clown” on the Internet; There is already a wide-ranging discussion online under the hashtag of the same name.
Arne Schönbohm was co-founder of the “Cyber Security Council Germany” association
Arne Schönbohm was co-founder of the “Cybersecurity Council Germany” association, a lobbying organization that represents interests in politics, administration and society. According to its own statements, the association wants to intensify “collaboration between politics, public administration, business and science to improve IT protection”.
Due to Arne Schönbohm's role, the club worked closely with the BSI - which now became a problem.
A large number of companies also cooperate with the “Cyber Security Council Germany”, including Protelion, a provider of cybersecurity solutions for governments. However, Protelion belongs to the Russian company “Infotecs”, which in turn is in close contact with the Russian secret service. This close contact comes from the company's founder and even led to it receiving a Medal of Honor from Vladimir Putin.
As early as June 2019, the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit” published a report in which it became known that the Cybersecurity Council Germany association had contacts with Russia.
There, representatives of the association attended a conference of the Russian National Association for Cyber Security (NAISS) in Garmisch Patenkirschen. The BSI board then reprimanded the representatives and banned them from taking part in joint appearances with the association. This obviously did not apply to Schönbohm himself, because it was not until September 2022 that he personally took part in the club's tenth anniversary celebration. This is, among other things, one reason why the ZDF magazine Royale took a closer look at the club again in its broadcast, reports Futurezone .
Clarification demanded from many quarters
After the ZDF broadcast and their research on the topic, the Greens are calling for clarification:
“There are scandalous events and connections that the ZDF magazine is disclosing here and which must be immediately and comprehensively investigated and clarified,” demanded Konstantin von Notz, the Green Party member of the Bundestag on his Twitter account on October 8th, 2022.
Also on Twitter, left-wing MP and digital expert Anke Domscheit Berg explains:
“The connections Jahn Böhmermann made public yesterday between Russian intelligence services, a dubious cybersecurity association, its members and the BSI are unbelievable. I have therefore requested that the upcoming digital committee deal with this on October 12, 2022.”
Explosive topic
What is certain is that after Schönbohm's suspension, the Federal Office for Information Security has an international reputation to lose. The National Cyber Defense Center is also located there.
Confidential information is also regularly shared with authorities and colleagues at home and abroad by German state IT security experts.
Political analyst and security expert Jessica Berlin comments on the matter :
“This is a national security emergency. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Decades of German governments, led by the CDU and SPD, have turned a blind eye to and/or enabled Russian (and other) infiltration of our industries, ministries and critical infrastructures.”
The crucial point is that the cybersecurity of the EU and NATO is only as strong as its weakest link, Berlin points out.
The “Cyber Security Council Germany eV” association is now reacting with exclusion and rejecting allegations of Russian influence!
Press releases from October 10, 2022
The Cyber Security Council Germany eV excludes Protelion GmbH with immediate effect. After becoming aware of the allegations of Russian intelligence services influencing Protelion GmbH through a media inquiry, an exclusion process was started on September 30, 2022.
President Hans-Wilhelm Dünn explains:
“The actions of Protelion GmbH are a violation of the association's goals of the Cyber Security Council Germany eV. The allegations made in media reports are not compatible with the fight against cybercrime and the promotion of cybersecurity - goals to which CSRD eV is more committed than ever sees."
The association and the president reject the allegations of having relationships with Russian state authorities. Hans-Wilhelm Dünn explains:
“The allegations against the Cyber Security Council Germany eV of being influenced by Russian authorities are absurd. These are allegations against a single member of CSRD eV. Protelion GmbH and its predecessor company Infotecs GmbH joined the association in June 2020. Since then, there have been no discussions or joint projects with company representatives. Accordingly, no influence could take place on the club platform or in the environment of CSRD eV.”
Dünn further explains:
“I strongly condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which violates international law, and the related activities of Russian intelligence services. Like the BSI, we were not aware of Protelion GmbH's connections to Russian services. We take the allegations seriously and support the efforts of state authorities to clarify the role of Protelion GmbH in order to be able to assess to what extent there is actually an attempt to influence.”
The statement by President Hans-Wilhelm Dünn, which was taken up in various media reports, that he would also hold talks with intelligence services, dates from 2019 and is reproduced in an abbreviated form. Mr. Dünn has not maintained any contacts with active representatives of Russian state bodies. Rather, his statements generally refer to maintaining communication channels with all relevant actors in the international security area. Given Russian actions and the current geopolitical situation, this is unthinkable anyway.
In the past, the Cyber Security Council Germany eV has repeatedly pointed out the danger of Russian influence and has worked together with its committed members on solutions for secure IT infrastructures. The misconduct of a single member of the CSRD eV is a severe reputational damage, but it does not diminish the work done by the members and the association for more cybersecurity. Now more than ever, business, science and politics need to work together to ensure the security of our society in cyberspace. After reviewing the internal processes for accepting members, CSRD eV is committed to fighting harder than ever for more cybersecurity and against cybercrime.
The Cyber Security Council Germany eV was founded in August 2012 by well-known personalities. The Berlin-based association is politically neutral and advises companies, authorities and political decision-makers in the area of cyber security. The association's members include large and medium-sized companies, operators of critical infrastructure as well as federal states and federal institutions, experts and political decision-makers with a connection to the topic of cyber security. Through its members, the association represents more than three million employees from business and almost two million members from associations and clubs.
ViSdP: Hans-Wilhelm Dünn, President, Cyber Security Council Germany eV
Sources
Stern , Futurezone , Golem , ZDF , Handelsblatt , Zeit , Twitter , Grün Digital , Twitter , Cyber Security Council eV
Also read: Kaspersky: How much politics was there in the BSI warning?
Author: Nick L.
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