Officially, with reference to the confidentiality of contacts with companies, the BSI only wanted to say that the Coordinate assessment with other authorities. The content is not intended for publication and would therefore not be further commented on by the BSI, said a spokesman when asked by Reuters. “International partner authorities have distributed comparable assessments to their respective target groups.” However, the assessment sent to the companies, which Reuters was able to see, states: “There is a particular threat situation. This could worsen in the short term without warning.” Alluding to previous cyber attacks, it is said that it is to be expected that there will be further sabotage attacks on Ukrainian IT systems. Due to the networking of many systems, collateral damage in Germany cannot be ruled out. Politics, administration and companies important for Germany’s infrastructure could be affected. This includes, for example, the energy sector.
In recent years, the BSI has repeatedly drawn the attention of companies to the growing dangers of cyber attacks, which not only come from state actors but also from criminal groups. The BSI is now advising companies to take special measures. Above all, they must Availability of IT specialists be guaranteed in the event of an attack – if necessary, also through holiday bans. Contingency plans should be reviewed and software updated. In addition, backup copies of all relevant systems should be created. According to the BSI, many of the measures are necessary anyway.