Page 122 - SAMENA Trends - April-May 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Germany Sees Cybercrime Jump as Work Shifts Online in Pandemic

The push for digitalization caused by the pandemic is seen as for criminals. Insecure IT systems in particular offer a welcome
a driver of the increased cybercrime rate as criminals taking gateway for hackers, as the recent breach of internal email traffic
advantage of the massive shift towards remote work. Germany’s at the US Treasury and Commerce departments known as the
shift towards digitalization due to the coronavirus pandemic SolarWinds hack revealed. Germany has already started to tackle
has come with a significant rise in cybercrime, according to a the issue. Last Friday (7 May), parliament approved a IT Security
report by the country’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). Act 2.0. The new law extends reporting obligations and standards
Recorded cases of cybercrime jumped by 8% in 2020, according already applicable to operators of critical infrastructure to
to the BKA’s Situation Report for Cybercrime 2020 published companies operating in the public interest. It also reinforces the
on Monday (10 May). Last year’s increase follows a 15% jump mandate of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), which
in cases in 2019 over the previous year. The number of solved in future will be able to set binding standards for federal authorities
cases fell by 7.4% over two years to 32.6% in 2020. The push and monitor their compliance with such standards. “The BSI is to
for digitalization caused by the pandemic is seen as a driver of form a third pillar of our cybersecurity architecture alongside the
the increased cybercrime rate as criminals taking advantage of Federal Criminal Police Office and the Office for the Protection of
the massive shift towards remote work. The report highlights an the Constitution,” said Ziemiak. The BSI has also been tasked with
increasing professionalization of criminals in the cyber economy developing a seal of quality that will make it clear to consumers
with “services” offered on corresponding online marketplaces. which products meet certain security standards and which are to
Spam services can be purchased for as little as 10 euro cents be classified as insecure. “Today is a good day for cybersecurity in
while banking Trojans can cost around €800. German companies Germany,” commented Interior Minister Horst Seehofer following
are among the worst hit. Every fourth to fifth German company the approval of the law. “Digitalization permeates all areas of
with more than 500 employees has fallen victim to a ransomware life, and the pandemic has once again accelerated this process
attack. This involves data being stolen or encrypted until the enormously. Our protection mechanisms and defence strategies
injured party pays a ransom. According to a study by the country’s must keep pace – this is exactly what the IT Security Act 2.0 is
interior ministry, more than half of all German companies said designed to do,” he added.
their business would be under threat if sensitive data were lost
or transmitted to their competition. The cybercrime rate may be
larger than it initially seems. A study by the economy ministry
suggests that only around 12% of all cyberattacks on companies
are not reported for fear of loss of reputation. “Cyberattacks are
one of the greatest dangers of this time,” secretary general of the
ruling Christian Democrats (CDU), Paul Ziemiak, wrote on Twitter.
“Our country needs a digital security architecture that defends us
robustly against cyber attacks. We see it as the core task of the
state to ensure security in the digital world as well,” he said. Digital
innovations should be used as a tool for environmental protection
and climate action, but we must act now, Germany’s minister for
the environment, Svenja Schulze, told EURACTIV in an interview.
Large companies, critical infrastructure and public institutions are
particularly at risk, according to the BKA report. The more essential
the service is for society, the more lucrative cyberattacks are

France Opens Consultation on Cost of 5G Spectrum in Reunion, Mayotte

Cedric O, France’s Secretary of State Reunion Island and Mayotte. The public during the auction phase at zero euros,
for Digital Transition and Electronic consultation, scheduled to run until 20 while also capping the level of royalties.
Communications, Sebastien Lecornu, May 2021, aims to collect opinions on The government is aiming to launch the
Minister of Overseas Territories, and the financial terms envisaged for the procedure for the allocation of 5G spectrum
Olivier Dussopt, Minister of Public Action allocation of airwaves in the 700MHz and ‘by the end of the spring’ in order to allow
and Accounts, have published a new public 3.5GHz bands. The government plans to for a commercial launch of 5G in Reunion
consultation on the financial terms for the strictly limit the financial contributions and Mayotte by the beginning of next year.
allocation of 5G-suitable frequencies in of operators by setting the minimum
the French Overseas Territories (FOT) of price for the allocation of frequencies

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