Following extensive analyses and investigations by German security authorities, the Federal Government has officially attributed responsibility for a significant cyberattack on the Federal Office of Cartography and Geodesy (BKG) at the end of 2021 to Chinese state actors.
The federal government condemned the attack, which infiltrated BKG’s network for espionage purposes.
According to Bmi Bund reports, Chinese cyber actors compromised end devices from private individuals and companies, using them as part of obfuscation networks to facilitate their attack.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) played crucial roles in supporting the BKG in addressing the cyberattack.
The Federal Foreign Office led the national attribution procedure, backed by these security authorities.
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Federal Minister’s Strong Condemnation and Call for Action
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser emphasized the gravity of the cyberattack, stating,
"This severe cyberattack on a federal authority shows how great the danger is from Chinese cyberattacks and espionage.The Federal Government condemns this cyberattack by state-controlled Chinese actors in the strongest possible terms.We call on China to refrain from and stop such cyberattacks. These cyberattacks threaten the digital sovereignty of Germany and Europe."
Minister Faeser highlighted the government’s proactive measures to counter these threats, including recently introducing a new law to enhance cybersecurity.
She praised the security authorities’ excellent, closely networked work, particularly the BfV, in investigating this cyberattack.
In response to the cyberattack, the BKG implemented a comprehensive set of measures to improve its information security significantly.
This included logging and detecting security-relevant events, IT risk management, and raising employee information security awareness. The BKG network was rebuilt following BSI recommendations, successfully excluding the attacker from the network.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution continues to monitor and address the ongoing threat Chinese cyber actors pose.
In 2023, several sophisticated cyberattacks targeting companies, authorities, and political institutions were detected. The attacks aimed to gather information on the German government’s political decision-making processes and positions.
Security authorities anticipate that China will further intensify its state-run espionage and influence activities, pursuing an offensive cyber strategy to advance its industrial and geopolitical goals.
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