cybersecurity
Interior Minister Faeser at a distance from BSI boss Schönbohm
There are reports that Federal Interior Minister Faeser wants to dismiss BSI boss Schönbohm. photo
© Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa
BSI boss Schönbohm has lost the confidence of the interior minister. A joint appearance to present the BSI annual report has now also been cancelled. The ministry is examining how to proceed.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) is moving further and further away from the controversial President of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), Arne Schönbohm. The joint appearance by Faeser and Schönbohm to present the annual BSI annual report before the federal press conference, which had been planned for many weeks, was canceled on Monday. However, a spokeswoman for the ministry did not want to confirm on Monday that the minister had already decided to replace Schönbohm from the BSI chief post.
According to dpa information, Faeser is annoyed that the BSI boss still has contact with the controversial association “Cyber Security Council Germany”, which he himself co-founded and managed ten years ago, but which recently came under fire because of connections to Russian secret services came under criticism. Several media reported on Sunday that the SPD politician wanted to relieve Schönbohm of his post.
Schönbohm’s connection to the controversial club had previously been discussed by Jan Böhmermann in the “ZDF Magazin Royale” program. A spokeswoman for the ministry said before the federal press conference that the allegations were taken “very seriously”. “We are also investigating this very comprehensively – in all its facets.” She “can’t say anything at this point” about personnel issues. It is not yet clear how long the investigation will last.
One speech too many
Sources say that Schönbohm’s visit to the club’s anniversary a few weeks ago was the last straw. However, according to a report by the “Business Insider” portal, the Federal Ministry of the Interior had been informed about Schönbohm’s speech at the association. Accordingly, State Secretary Markus Richter approved the lecture at Schönbohm’s request on August 24th. The spokeswoman for the ministry said that this aspect is also being investigated.
The Berlin cybersecurity company Protelion, which was a member of the “Cyber Security Council Germany eV” up until the weekend, is now increasingly in the spotlight. The company operated under the name Infotecs GmbH until the end of March. This is a subsidiary of the Russian cybersecurity company OAOInfotecs, which, according to information from the research network Policy Network Analytics, was founded by a former employee of the Russian intelligence service KGB. He was awarded a medal of honor by Russian President Vladimir Putin for his work.
On Monday, the association said it had excluded the company. “The actions of Protelion GmbH are a violation of the club’s goals of the Cyber Security Council Germany eV,” said the club’s president, Hans-Wilhelm Dünn. The allegations in the room are not compatible with the fight against cyber crime and the promotion of cyber security.
Club denies allegations
Club president Dünn further stated that allegations against the club of being influenced by Russian authorities were absurd. “These are allegations against a single member of CSRD eV” Protelion GmbH and its predecessor Infotecs GmbH joined the association in June 2020. “Since then there have been neither talks nor joint projects with representatives of the company. Accordingly, no influence could be exerted on the association platform and in the environment of the CSRD eV.”
Protelion was previously also a member of the Federal Association for the Protection of Critical Infrastructures (BSKI). The association said on Monday that it had decided to suspend Protelion’s membership for the time being.
Protelion’s connections to Russia had already been surveyed in specialist publications months before Böhmermann’s report. In January, “Forensic News” reported on reservations about Infotecs in the USA, ie at a time when Protelion was still operating under the Infotecs name in Germany. After the company was renamed, the specialist portal “Intelligence Online” pointed out the problematic cross-connections to Russia.
The spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior pointed out on Monday that all IT security-related products for the federal administrations and ministries must be approved by the BSI. Neither Protelion nor Infotecs products are on the public list.
Broadcast by Jan Böhmermann (ZDF Magazin Royale) Article ARD Kontraste (2019) BSI President Schönbohm congratulates the “Cyber Security Council Germany eV” Research by the network Policy Network Analytics Report Handlelsblatt Report Image Report Intelligence Online Report Forensic News Statement Cyber Security Council eV