10.11.2014

eco Criticizes Planned BND Surveillance Attacks Using Purchased Security Vulnerabilities

On the plans of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (German secret service agency) to purchase security vulnerabilities on the black market (known as Zero-Day Exploits) and to use these to surveil external computers and networks, Oliver Süme, eco Director of Policy and Law, says:

“The intention of the Bundesnachrichtendienst is, in our opinion, a blatant contradiction of the goal of the German Federal Government, as defined in the Digital Agenda and with the planned IT Security Act, to make Germany a leader in IT security. More consistent with this goal would be to fix known vulnerabilities as quickly as possible, before they become a gateway for criminals and in this way become a potential danger for users. We appeals to the German Federal Parliament therefore to examine this program critically in connection with the financial means allocated to it.”