NSA Affair as an Opportunity

Earlier, when there were threats to German companies over the Internet, one mostly considered China, Russia and other countries that enjoy going against the rules of etiquette. But, of all things, it was the American National Security Agency (NSA) that most recently increased awareness among German companies of the necessity to protect themselves against thieves and spies who are stalking the information superhighway.

Many companies, particularly the smaller ones, still underestimate the risks. But they are not the only ones. When it comes to data protection against external reconnaissance, the federal government has so far clearly not performed to its fullest potential either.

Because of the NSA affair and the disclosures by Edward Snowden, attitudes are certainly changing, even among private users. For example, many people have turned their backs on American email providers and set up accounts with German ones. Of course, that no longer means absolute security, but Deutsche Telekom has really quickly recognized the opportunities that come along with the debate. Opportunities for cybersecurity, but also for business: Through an alliance with other corporations, a German Internet is also in the works. Certain information traveling through the grid should never leave Europe anymore.

That’s also not guaranteed, even if the Brits, who are also busy sniffing around, are left out. But in any case, it does make spying attacks harder. Politicians and industries are being asked to use this favorable opportunity to make effective improvements regarding data protection and to make it as complicated as possible for spies who are perhaps expecting them to use something patented.