Germany's constitution watchdog: Companies must protect themselves against espionage

According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, German authorities and companies must protect themselves better against sabotage and espionage by Russian and Chinese actors, reports the German newspaper Handelsblatt. Both countries are now also commissioning universities, companies and private actors for espionage purposes, reported the Vice President of the security authority, Sinan Selen, on the occasion of the annual security conference by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) and the Alliance for Security in the Economy (ASW).

In this context, the constitution authority highlighted several sabotage incidents in recent months, including incidents on German warships and arson attacks in Lithuania and Poland. According to Selen, proving a connection to intelligence agencies would be difficult. However, due to the frequency of the incidents alone, it is hardly a coincidence, she added.

According to a study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), nine percent of all companies in Germany have experienced espionage attacks in the past five years. The IAB expects such attacks to increase. The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution accuses China in particular of systematic industrial espionage. Emily Kossak