Munich (dpa/lby) - Despite repeated attacks on the critical infrastructure, Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann believes that the population in Germany is well protected. "Overall, we can therefore speak of a high level of protection," said the CSU politician on Wednesday in the Bavarian state parliament's interior committee. Thanks to close-meshed networking in the areas of energy, IT and transport as well as in health and finance, but also in the drinking water and food supply, the supply of the population and companies is ensured and guaranteed.
Nevertheless, Herrmann emphasized that the vulnerability of society has grown significantly in recent years. This applies to cyber attacks by hackers as well as to classic sabotage or natural hazards. In all areas of life, the critical infrastructure must be protected as best as possible.
As an example, Herrmann mentioned the supply of fuel to fire brigades, civil protection or the police - even if the gas stations are full, without electricity the pumps cannot bring it into the vehicles.
"80 percent of the critical facilities are in municipal or private hands," said Herrmann. The state is therefore only responsible to a limited extent, since so far mostly private companies have been responsible for the operation and protection of the critical infrastructure. In addition, there is a multi-level protection structure with individual concepts from the federal and state governments.
Since the threats are extremely diverse and the effects of disruptions are therefore difficult to assess, clear framework conditions are needed for the interaction between operators and security authorities. "But that's currently lacking," emphasized Herrmann. The legal requirements have so far been insufficient.
With regard to the energy supply, Herrmann said that there are currently no indications that a shortage is imminent. However, one must prepare for how the state administration could be secured in the best possible way in the event of a long-lasting, large-scale power failure.
