Germany is reinforcing its digital defences

“Real-life threats are not fictional but a part of everyday life in Germany even now,” said Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz in June 2026. He listed cyber attacks, espionage and sabotage as immediate threats. The situation is tense and ministries, authorities and businesses are all affected by these types of threats. This is why the Federal Government seeks to reinforce cyber defence capacities from an organisational, technical and regulatory perspective. In particular, this is about providing clarity concerning who must do what in an emergency and ensuring that action is taken quickly.  

Security Council, AI Institute and the BSI as the technical hub 

The National Security Council that was formed in the summer of 2025 is in charge of political coordination. Its function is to consolidate the way in which threats are handled across the different ministries and to improve responsiveness in the event of a crisis. 

In addition to this, a new artificial intelligence security institute is to be established to allow for risks and opportunities in connection with powerful AI models to be assessed systematically, to help enhance exchange with similar organisations abroad and to contribute to the development of uniform standards. The reason for this is that AI can accelerate the tools used by attackers, such as deceptively realistic phishing messages or automated analysis of stolen data. 

The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) as the responsible authority for technical cyber security architecture issues warnings, minimum standards and recommendations for action.  

Cyber defence centre and security authorities 

In the event of acute attacks, the Federal Government cooperates with the National Cyber Response Centre. Information from the parties involved is pooled here to allow for rapid coordination of the situation and available options for action. The Federal and Länder Governments’ Joint Centre for Countering Hybrid Threats that was opened by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt in June 2026 has a similar function. “We are fighting back. We eliminate the threat if we are attacked. We will be able to interfere with attackers and to destroy their infrastructure,” Dobrindt stressed. 

In addition, further authorities are involved on a case-by-case basis: 

• The Federal Criminal Police Office for criminal prosecution 
• The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution for fighting off espionage and sabotage by foreign intelligence services and for domestic affairs relating to the constitution 
• The Federal Intelligence Service for reconnaissance abroad, that is for findings concerning players and structures outside Germany that can help with classifying and fending off cyber campaigns 
• The Federal Armed Forces with their cyber and information space division for protecting military networks and capabilities 
• The Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance for cases in which critical infrastructure is affected by cyber incidents in such a way that crisis or disaster relief is needed 
• The Central Office for Information Technology in the Security Sector as a provider of technical support for security agencies