German intelligence warns of cyber attack on critical infrastructure

The German intelligence service BSI warns of a cyber attack on critical infrastructure in Germany because of the war in Ukraine. Der Spiegel writes this on the basis of a report from the intelligence service. The BSI says an attack on high-value targets in Germany is imminent.

The BSI would have that information from a ‘credible ally’, writes Der Spiegel. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Germany has been supplying the country with weapons and has imposed sanctions against Russia. In a situation report, the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik warns that a cyber attack on critical infrastructure in Germany is imminent. That report is in the hands of the German newspaper.

The BSI has not provided details about the attack, but the attack could target the country’s energy supplies or military facilities, the newspaper writes. In another report, the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, the federal agency for the protection of the constitution, also wrote about an increased risk of a major cyber attack, says Der Spiegel.

In September 2021, the EU warned that several politicians and journalists in EU member states had been hacked by the Russian hacker group Ghostwriter, which is said to be affiliated with the Russian state. In these attacks, the hackers try to extract data from computers and personal accounts. Der Spiegel writes that the number of hacking attempts by the Ghostwriter group has increased again since the start of the Ukraine war in Germany, especially in the form of phishing emails. The German government therefore warns to be extra vigilant for these types of attacks.