BSI-Presidentwarning: 17,000 potential time bombs in the network
As a Mathematician, BSI-President Plattner Brings a Passion for Complex Problems to Germany's Digital Defense. This passion is desperately needed: "Cybersecurity is incredibly diverse," she reveals in an interview with ntv. Nerds with a sense for the greater good should help out.
"If you lay a problem before me and say, 'We need a solution here,' it's very hard for me to stay away from that problem," says Claudia Plattner with a smile. With her analytical approach, the Diploma-Mathematician has led the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) since July 2023 and is shaping Germany's fight against cyber threats.
Plattner studied at TU Darmstadt and also in New Orleans. Under the motto "Cyber Nation Germany," she is looking for "Nerds with a sense for the greater good" and emphasizes the importance of speed and cooperation: "Cybersecurity is incredibly diverse. It's insane how many places you have to look," she says, referring to the 17,000 vulnerable Exchange Servers that resemble ticking time bombs.
A particular concern for Plattner is the protection of security researchers. These are experts who deliberately search for vulnerabilities in systems to report and close them. "We would like security researchers to be appropriately protected in their work," says the BSI President. "Instead of criticizing people, I say thank you. That would be my plea."
Plattner highlights a successful initiative with the DAX-40 companies, in which all have introduced a "security.txt." This is a standardized method to offer security researchers a secure channel for reporting vulnerabilities. "Every vulnerability that exists will be used against us at some point," warns the Mathematician. Therefore, a coordinated process for closing security vulnerabilities is absolutely necessary.
With Claudia Plattner, Frauke Holzmeier and Andreas Laukat spoke. You can listen to the entire interview in the podcast "So techt Deutschland"*.
- Claudia Plattner, the president of BSI, acknowledges the importance of involving hackers, or individuals with a sense for the greater good, in combating Cybercriminality, as they can provide valuable insights into tackling the diverse nature of Cybersecurity threats.
- The Federal Office for Information Security, led by Claudia Plattner, is actively advocating for the protection of security researchers, recognizing their crucial role in identifying vulnerabilities in Cloud Computing systems, which could potentially be exploited for Cyberwar.
- With the rise of Cyberwar and the increasing reliance on Cloud Computing in the economy, Plattner emphasizes the need for enhanced cooperation between industries and regulatory bodies, such as the BSI, to combat Cybercriminality and safeguard Germany's digital defense.
