Amid surging tensions and fears of sabotage from Russia, Germany has passed a law to better protect its critical infrastructure including energy, water, transport, and IT sectors. The law mandates essential service providers to enhance security, conduct regular risk assessments, and report incidents within 24 hours to civil authorities. This legislative push follows a mid-winter power outage in Berlin caused by a far-left militant group, which sparked public debate and a government reward offer for culprits. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt highlighted Germany’s responsibility to implement resilience measures against hybrid warfare threats such as terrorism, espionage, and aggression by foreign powers. The law also aligns Germany with European Union standards in the protection of critical services. Experts contend that despite some criticism that the new measures are insufficient or late, the law represents a necessary shift from temporary to permanent resilience efforts. Further concerns include the targeting of supply chains, data cables, and the need to secure against industrial accidents and natural disasters. Business sectors caution about compliance costs, while security experts emphasize the importance of integrated defense planning and readiness, comparing infrastructure protection to preventing tanks and drones. Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has committed to increasing military and infrastructure resilience amid ongoing conflict in Europe.
Category: Energy & Infrastructure Attacks
Subcategory: Critical Infrastructure Sabotage
Incident Type: Power grids, pipelines
Country: Germany
Source report: www.kyivpost.com/post/6908…
