IT Service Provider Attacks Criticized as Sophisticated by BSI Head
Article:
Germany's cybersecurity authority, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), conveys concerns over increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks on IT service providers. The BSI's president, Claudia Plattner, emphasizes the need for improved IT security, especially in the power sector.
Plattner warned about potential cyber threats to Germany's power supply and called for better protection of power plants and grids' IT infrastructure. She acknowledged that the power supply is becoming more decentralized, with smaller power plants and wind farms being built, which may variably protect themselves and have less security against external attacks compared to large power plant operators.
Meanwhile, Plattner highlighted that Germany has experienced sophisticated attacks on IT service providers, with the strategies employed by the perpetrators being complex and well-prepared. Some of the tactics used in these attacks include exploiting supply chain vulnerabilities, sophisticated social engineering, leveraging stolen credentials and passwords, advanced persistent threats, evasion and persistence techniques, and targeted attacks on critical infrastructure and logistics.
In light of these developments, the BSI and European partners advocate for measures such as sovereign cybersecurity solutions, proactive threat monitoring, and the adoption of security frameworks to build resilience against such advanced threats. They also stress the importance of addressing the heightened risk environment through mandatory, externally verified cybersecurity certificates like the EU Common Criteria certification and the upcoming Cyber Resilience Act.
Simultaneously, Plattner acknowledged current protective measures and redundancies in Germany's power grid, considering it secure and stable compared to the mass power outage on the Iberian Peninsula. However, she reiterated Germany's need to invest more in IT security, as it is essential now more than ever.
Reference: ntv.de, gho
- The Commission, due to its role in drafting environmental protection laws, might also consider incorporating provisions for safeguarding the IT infrastructure of eco-friendly data centers and cloud-computing facilities involved in technology-driven energy solutions, as part of the general news agenda on the intersection between politics, cybersecurity, and the environment.
- Meanwhile, the debate on the protection of Germany's critical infrastructure, such as its power grid, from cyber threats extends to other sectors, including the environment, considering the increasing reliance on technology and data-driven systems in industries like renewable energy.
- Incidents like the sophisticated attacks on IT service providers highlight the need for improved cybersecurity measures not only in traditional sectors like politics and power supply but also in emerging domains such as data-and-cloud-computing and the protection of the environment, as the Commission prepares for the approval of the draft law on the protection of the environment.
