Former BND Chief Advocates for Robust Cyber Defense through Hackbacks

Germany's digital defense might soon take on a more offensive character if Gerhard Schindler, the former President of the Federal Intelligence Service, has his way. In a conversation with Deutschlandfunk, Schindler emphasized the necessity for Germany to not only defend itself against cyberattacks from abroad but also to respond with offensive measures. He referred to so-called hackbacks, or counterattacks on the attackers' infrastructure systems, as an effective method to respond to large-scale cyberattacks. This is a controversial practice that has so far been situated in a legal gray area. According to Schindler, a healthy balance between active and passive security measures should be found. While advocating for the strengthening of secret and economic protection measures, he pointed out that the capability to act offensively was equally important. Schindler views the current German reticence regarding such offensive measures critically. He also spoke out explicitly against overregulation by the German data protection law, which could limit the operational capability of the security forces. These demands for a more active defensive strategy in cyberspace come at a time when Germany has already been the victim of cyberattacks. The federal government has recently blamed a Russian military intelligence unit for such an attack on the SPD. This incident, which targeted email accounts of the party headquarters, is just one example of a series of attacks that have affected German institutions and companies across various sectors. It remains to be seen how German politics will respond to Schindler's suggestions and to what extent legal and practical steps toward an offensive cyber defense will be taken.