War
Eavesdropping attack from Russia: Germany with an open flank
Boris Pistorius sees Russia’s publication of the internal conversation as a “hybrid disinformation attack”. photo
© Michael Kappeler/dpa
Is there already an information war against Germany? The Bundeswehr is proving to be ill-prepared for wiretapping operations like those from Russia. The government now wants to prevent further damage.
In the debate about supplying Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine, the Russian one is Eavesdropping on German Air Force officers exploded like a bomb. The interception operation is a stress test for Berlin politics, the military and perhaps also for contacts with important allies – without Moscow’s success being a foregone conclusion. On the contrary: all federal government departments emphasize demonstrative unity. “This hybrid attack aims to create uncertainty and divide,” warned a Defense Ministry spokesman.
The Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD) is working hard to draw conclusions from the breakdown, which was quite embarrassing for the Bundeswehr. The communication technology and the behavior of those involved are being tested in order to close possible gaps that made the attack possible.
Counterintelligence has only recently been strengthened
The military intelligence service itself has only recently strengthened counterintelligence again and admitted in its last annual report that an earlier decision – to combine counterintelligence and counter-extremism in one department – had proven to be “not expedient”. The logical consequence is a separation into two independent departments. And with a view to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, “strengthening counterintelligence and combating espionage and possible sabotage is more urgent than ever before.”
Pro-Russian disinformation campaign on X
It was only in January that the Federal Foreign Office uncovered a pro-Russian disinformation campaign on the X platform, formerly Twitter. 50,000 fake user accounts in German were used to fuel dissatisfaction with the federal government and doubts about aid to Ukraine. Within a month, more than a million German-language tweets were sent at the turn of the year.
Last year, German secret services increased warnings about Russian espionage and so-called “hybrid attacks,” in which facts are mixed with disinformation in order to specifically influence public opinion. More caution is advised. However, common ways of working go in a different direction and the corona pandemic set the pace for the use of modern and widely used telecommunications.
The Air Force officers used the WebEx platform, which is also used in many companies, for their web conference. The Bundeswehr’s WebEx is free for the lowest level of secrecy up to VS-NfD (“classified information – for official use only”). Not only the Bundeswehr relies on Webex, but also the Bundestag and all federal authorities.
Criticism of the Bundeswehr’s encryption technology
Military insiders complain that the Bundeswehr’s encryption technology (“cryptomodernization”) is unfortunately inadequate in some areas. In everyday life and when things have to happen quickly, there are a few and sometimes dangerous interfaces to private devices with messenger services and social media apps. On the other hand, military communication between NATO command posts and command posts as well as conversations in tap-proof rooms are considered watertight. Secure communication with authorities is generally the responsibility of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
“We have known for years that we are exposed to Russian hybrid attacks,” said the chairwoman of the Defense Committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), to the German Press Agency. Apparently there are still institutions that have not adapted to this, both technically and mentally. “Crucial places still don’t seem to be in crisis mode. In this respect, this hybrid attack is a clear signal – even for those who still dream that this can’t be true – to finally deal with it,” said Strack-Zimmermann. She demanded that we now oppose Putin with sovereignty and within the democrats – “and not jump over our sticks and now all attack each other in parliament.”
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) assessed the Russian eavesdropping attack at the weekend as a “hybrid disinformation attack”. This is “part of an information war that Putin is waging.” After the opposition brought a parliamentary committee of inquiry into play, Pistorius warned of public disputes. “It’s about driving our domestic politics apart,” said Pistorius, who called for “not to fall for Putin.”