Cyber attacks from abroad, disinformation campaigns – hybrid threats have many faces. At a conference, security authorities are discussing the growing threat situation in Germany.
The top German security authorities are discussing cyber attacks and threats posed by disinformation campaigns by foreign states today. They are meeting with representatives from science and business at the 10th Potsdam Conference on National Cyber Security at the Hasso Plattner Institute. Leading representatives from the Federal Criminal Police Office, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Federal Office for Information Security are expected to attend.
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) warns of growing dangers from Russia’s hybrid warfare. These include cyber attacks and attempts to exert influence, for example through disinformation and fake news. One example: fake quotes in which stars allegedly commented on Ukraine were circulating on social media. But the SPD and CDU were also the focus of Russian cyber attacks. Security experts are also warning of targeted cyber attacks before the Olympic Games in Paris.
Targeted disruption of GPS satellite navigation
State-supported attacks are usually characterized by the attackers’ high level of professionalism and extensive resources, which makes it difficult to fend them off, said Christian Dörr, cybersecurity expert at the Hasso Plattner Institute, who is hosting the two-day conference. He believes that the state, companies and citizens are generally too poorly protected against cyberattacks. However, according to Federal Interior Minister Faeser, protective measures against hybrid threats have been ramped up since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Security experts are also concerned because GPS satellite navigation is repeatedly being deliberately disrupted in the Baltic region. “The disruption of GPS, which is currently taking place in the Baltic states and Ukraine in particular, is nothing new. Experts have known about these types of attacks for decades,” said Dörr. The GPS signal is used by aircraft to determine their own position and for navigation, for example.
Source: Stern
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