Critical Infrastructure and IT Security

• In Event: Critical Infrastructure Cyberattacks

Abstract

In order for highly complex industrial nations to function, the protection of IT systems that mainly belong to the critical infrastructure is of particular importance. The breakdown or disruption of these companies would result in significant supply shortfalls or risks to public security. The German IT Security Act has been passed for companies and institutions of the critical infrastructure and it came into force in July 2015 as a response to poor cooperation by companies by introducing compulsory measures. This Act makes it mandatory for companies to ensure that their networks are given better protection against cyber-attacks. In addition to the mandatory obligation to report serious IT security incidents, minimum IT security standards for operators of such IT infrastructures are being set throughout the sector.
This paper will discuss the value of the German IT Security Act and will present results from a company survey to questions regarding IT security and the IT Security Act.

Author

• Nicole Selzer, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany