Cyber attacks controlled by intelligence services

Zoom© Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz Cover of the publication ‘Cyber attacks controlled by intelligence services’

Due to its geopolitical position, its role in the European Union and in NATO, as well as its being a location for numerous high-tech enterprises, the Federal Republic of Germany is attractive to foreign intelligence services. These services have increasingly been using cyber attacks to collect information on government agencies, business enterprises, or research institutes. The new leaflet entitled "Cyber Attacks controlled by Intelligence Services" aims at raising the reader's awareness of these threats.

The intelligence and security services of the Russian Federation and of the People's Republic of China, in particular, are engaged in extensive espionage activities in cyber space. But also the intelligence services of other states, e.g. Iran, have the resources enabling them to carry out such technical intelligence collection measures against German targets.

Contents:

• Germany – a target of espionage: Threats emanating from cyber attacks
• Russian cyber-attack campaigns
• Chinese cyber-attack campaigns
• Iranian cyber-attack campaigns
• Assessment

Editor: Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz
Date of information: May 2018