exclusive
Experts consider the threat in cyberspace to be worrying. However, various federal ministries are unable to fill open security positions. On average, one in six positions is vacant.
Many cities and districts have now learned how quickly a hacker attack can paralyze authorities for months. In North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, more than 70 municipalities were affected by a cyber attack last October. Even months after the attack, the authorities have not yet returned to normal operations.
The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) continues to classify the threat situation in Germany as “worrying”. Cybercriminals are becoming more and more professional. Federal authorities, the Bundestag and ministries are also repeatedly the target of hackers. But the federal government has had problems finding staff to defend against cyber threats for years. Currently, on average, one in six IT security positions in ministries is vacant. This emerges from a request to the federal government ARD capital studio is present.
There are big differences between the ministries. Some have more than doubled their number of jobs in the last five years, including the Foreign Office and the Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport. Other ministries have neither increased the number of positions nor significantly improved the filling rate for years.
Domscheit-Berg: There is a lack of a uniform strategy
Anke Domscheit-Berg, digital politician for the Left, accuses the federal government of not having a uniform strategy. “Some ministries have apparently not heard anything about the greatly increased threat situation,” said Domscheit-Berg. “The ministries give the issue extremely different priorities.”
The poor numbers are partly due to the fact that the federal government is trying to strengthen cyber defense personnel, meaning it needs a lot of new employees. But: IT specialists are in demand, and private companies are also urgently looking for reinforcements.
Bottom light Ministry of Health
While the Ministry of Construction has now been able to fill all four newly created positions, almost 80 percent of the positions in the Ministry of Health remain unfilled. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wants to start a digital race to catch up for the healthcare system. He launched the digital prescription and the electronic patient record. In our own ministry, however, there is no sign of catching up when it comes to IT security. The Ministry of Health has not filled three positions in this area.
Domscheit-Berg thinks that there is obviously a lack of digital competence at the top of the Ministry of Health. “Leaving three quarters of all IT security positions unfilled for several years while there is new bad news about successful cyber attacks almost every day cannot be justified,” says Domscheit-Berg. The Ministry of Health points to the shortage of IT specialists. There is a special competitive situation between the private sector and the public service.
Plattner calls for more awareness
Lack of digital competence – that shouldn’t actually be the problem of the Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV). But here too, one in three positions for IT security is not filled.
Across all ministries, almost 750 IT security positions are unfilled, as is clear from the request to the federal government. Almost two thirds of them, almost 450, are in the area of the Ministry of the Interior (BMI). This has different reasons. Partly this is because new positions are constantly being created here because, for example, the Federal Police and the Federal Office for Information Security are assigned to the Ministry of the Interior.
BSI boss Claudia Plattner repeatedly calls for significantly greater awareness of cybersecurity. “It has to get across to the executive levels that we have to pay more attention to the issue,” demands Plattner.