Cybersecurity in Germany

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In 2016, Germany's government unveiled its third cybersecurity strategy, focusing on enhancing national cyber defense, fostering cooperation between state and industry, and empowering individual users. Historically, Germany has adopted a preventive and engineering approach to cybersecurity, prioritizing technological control over political and military strategies. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has been central to this national architecture, while the military's cyber defense capabilities were only expanded and reorganized in 2016. Additionally, cybersecurity is closely tied to data protection, a significant concern in Germany, especially after Edward Snowden's revelations. Drawing on official documents and extensive experience in cybersecurity policy, the authors analyze Germany's unique cybersecurity landscape. They explore public perceptions, the strong interconnection with data protection, the evolution of cybersecurity strategies, and the current organizational framework across government and industry. The analysis assesses past developments and identifies present and future gaps in Germany’s cybersecurity policy, which will influence its political role in Europe and beyond. This includes the cybersecurity priorities set by the German government that took office in spring 2018.