Lower Saxony sounds the alarm: 30 million for protection against cyber attacks!

Lower Saxony sounds the alarm: 30 million for protection against cyber attacks!

The Lower Saxony state government launched an ambitious project on January 19th and 20th, 2023: The Aegis project is intended to act as a protective shield against the growing threat of cyber attacks. This initiative will involve an investment volume of around 30 million euros and aims to detect attacks on the state administration much more quickly and to sustainably improve the state IT infrastructure. [ndr.de].

To implement the project, Lower Saxony relies on a cloud-based system from the American company Palo Alto Networks, which functions as Security Information and Automation Management (XSIAM). This innovative platform bundles data and noticeably shortens the detection time for attacks. Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) emphasizes the urgency of this measure, as the threat situation has been increased not only by an increasing number of cyber attacks, but also by geopolitical tensions that have increased following Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. There are also calls for Europe to be more responsible for its own security, which further increases the need for projects like Aegis.

Cyber ​​attacks in focus

The security situation has noticeably worsened in recent months. Around 1,880 serious security incidents were registered in Lower Saxony in the past 670 days, which means an average of three cyber attacks per day. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) records around 300,000 new variants of malware every day. Attacks on the digital infrastructure, if carried out professionally and in a targeted manner, can paralyze entire organizations.

The cabinet of the Lower Saxony state government has therefore revised its cybersecurity strategies. A central point of the Aegis project is the redesign of cybersecurity tasks at the IT service provider IT.Niedersachsen. The areas of detection, reaction, vulnerability management and security network are being reorganized. These measures are also aimed at strengthening the Lower Saxony computer emergency team N-CERT and creating a comprehensive situation report on cybersecurity.

Support for municipalities and universities

Another benefit of the Aegis project is the planned support for Lower Saxony municipalities and universities. The new security infrastructure should gradually be made available to these institutions, and at no additional cost to the municipalities. Minister Behrens emphasizes that cybersecurity is essential for citizens' trust in state institutions. Given the existing shortage of skilled workers, which makes it even more difficult to protect IT systems, Aegis is seen as a strategic step towards automating cyber defense.

However, the project also finds critical voices. Some CDU politicians express concerns because it is based on a six-year-old law and is viewed as incomplete. IT expert Christopher Kunz also expresses concerns about the high investments in an American provider.

The developments surrounding the Aegis project clearly show how important it is to react to the current security situation and protect digital infrastructures. While pro-Russian hackers have threatened to trigger waves of attacks in the past, the question remains how Lower Saxony will deal with this challenge.