Ambushes, Sabotage, and Digital Warfare: How Russia is Already Invading Germany
Russia Intensifies Offensive Against Germany
By Volker Petersen
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Russia has taken a military route against Ukraine with tanks, artillery, and soldiers. However, attacks against Germany are also brewing, a new iteration of the Cold War. The Kremlin is orchestrating espionage, sabotage, and cyberattacks, as recent findings unveil.
Last summer in Leipzig, a package mysteriously caught fire at the airport - destined for London by air freight. Instead, it detonated in a container, only delayed by chance. The firefighting took hours. Merely a coincidence? Not at all. The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office is probing the matter. In April, NDR, WDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that the Russian military intelligence service GRU was behind the explosive incident. Turns out, that was just the beginning. Packages also caught fire in Birmingham and Warsaw.
Economy Cybersecurity is Just Wishful Thinking, Claims BSI Chief: The Majority of Companies Don't Even Meet Half the Minimum Requirements These details shed light on Russia's invasive actions against Germany. Not military invasions, but espionage, sabotage, and cyberattacks. The goal is to weaken Germany, according to the new domestic intelligence report. The Russians are not choosy about their targets. Especially German politics remains in their crosshairs. The internet provides them with an idyllic hunting ground, where Russian hackers and cybercriminals with intelligence agency connections hunt for German data.
"The situation is tense," said Claudia Plattner of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) at the Federal Press Conference. There, she presented a study on the cybersecurity of German companies together with Michael Fubi from TÜV Rheinland. Attacks with ransomware are the most pressing problem, she stated, although not necessarily the biggest one. State actors operating espionage and sabotage give her sleepless nights. Besides Russia, China, Iran, and Turkey are particularly active, according to the domestic intelligence report.
Politics Dobrindt Still Opposes Ban: AfD Represents Majority of Right-Extremists in Germany Russia can achieve spectacular victories in the digital realm. In 2015, Russian hackers attacked the Bundestag, in 2023 the SPD. The attack was attributed to the cyber group APT 28, also known as "Fancy Bear" or "Sofacy". APT 28 is linked to the GRU. In 2024, the CDU became the victim of a cyberattack. Russia was immediately suspected.
Deception
Politics Russian Hackers Highly Active: Fancy Bear Attacks Weapons Suppliers to Ukraine In the network, Russia doesn't just steal data but also spreads disinformation and propaganda. The messaging service Telegram is crucial here. The case of "Voice of Europe" caused a stir. Posing as a genuine news portal, "The Voice of Europe" initially disseminated pro-Russian positions, especially regarding the Ukraine war, from the Netherlands, later from Prague. However, the activities extend beyond that. Before the European elections in 2024, politicians of right-wing parties in Europe received money from Russia. The case of Petr Bystrom made headlines in Germany. The AfD member of the Bundestag was running for the European Parliament and appeared several times on "Voice of Europe". He is said to have accepted money from Russia. Bystrom denies this. Meanwhile, the European Parliament has lifted his immunity due to ongoing investigations.
Online, it's not only about parties and propaganda. The targets of cyberattacks are mainly German firms interesting to Russia, such as those from the defense industry, but also other companies whose knowledge could be militarily useful. Even seemingly harmless ransomware attacks are part of the intelligence agencies' game. In these attacks, cybercriminals paralyze the IT of companies and demand a ransom. This is a major concern for the German economy, as proven by a new study from TÜV Rheinland.
Politics: "Russia's Strategies Are Complex" - BSI Chief Fuming Over Sophisticated Attacks on IT Service ProvidersAccording to the study, 15 percent of the companies surveyed had experienced a cyberattack in the past 12 months. This is an increase of four percent compared to 2023. Only the reactions to attacks were counted - the millions of intercepted and failed phishing attempts were not included. In phishing, criminals attempt to gain access to a company's software, for example, using deceptive emails.
Insufficient Protection in Germany
The study also showed that many companies are under the impression they're secure. Ninety-one percent rated their IT security as good or very good. Claudia Plattner from the BSI was shocked by this. "That's a bit of wishful thinking," she said at the federal press conference. Especially small companies often don't even meet half of the requirements for the BSI's cyber risk check. The check is like the "seahorse" for children in swimming lessons - the absolute entry level in cybersecurity.
Investments in security are worthwhile, the expert states. They are significantly cheaper than the costs of a successful attack. FUBI recommends that small companies outsource their data to a commercially operated cloud, whose operator ensures cybersecurity. FUBI and Plattner urge the federal government to quickly implement the EU directive "Network and Information Security" (NIS 2). It aims to harmonize and improve cybersecurity across Europe, particularly for critical infrastructure such as airports and power plants. They also call for clarifying who is responsible - the new digital ministry or the interior ministry. The topic of artificial intelligence is particularly crucial, both for attackers and defenders.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt promised action. "As interior minister, I want to ensure security authorities are capable of repelling such attacks," he said to the Funke media group. "We need to upgrade, both technically, legally, and organizationally in Germany." Artificial intelligence must be utilized more in intelligence services. He pledged substantial "financial support" for this. How quickly something will occur remains uncertain. One thing is evident: The next attack from Russia is coming.
Source: ntv.de
- Federal Office for Information Security
- IT Security
- Cybercrime
- Cyberwar
- Russia
- The Commission has also adopted a communication on the future of the European Union, highlighting the need for enhanced cybersecurity, considering the increasing cyberattacks, particularly those orchestrated by Russian actors, as revealed in the domestic intelligence report.
- The new domestic intelligence report indicates that Germany, despite its advancements in technology and politics, remains a target for Russian cyberattacks, with Russian hackers actively seeking German data and German firms that are strategically important to Russia, including those from the defense industry.
- Thees concerns underscore the importance of focusing on cybersecurity, not just in Germany but across Europe, as depicted in the EU directive "Network and Information Security" (NIS 2), which aims to harmonize and improve cybersecurity, particularly for critical infrastructure, in light of the complex strategies employed by states like Russia in the digital realm.
