Holger Münch, the President of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), has raised alarms regarding the increasing threat posed by cyberattacks originating from foreign sources. He noted that cybercrime attacks from abroad are rising notably, stating that sophisticated tools like modern software and Artificial Intelligence are enabling criminals to professionalize scams such as phishing.
Münch pointed out that Germany currently ranks as the fourth most targeted country for online scams. Although the top three targets are English-speaking nations, he warned that this language barrier can now effectively vanish due to AI. According to the BKA chief, attackers can simply use software to translate their fraudulent messages into German.
In connection with these threats, Münch demanded that the BKA be granted greater powers. He argued that the office requires a legal basis to be able to specifically affect the servers belonging to criminal groups for the purpose of preventing danger. He stated that, similarly to addressing terrorist threats, the danger in cyberspace can only be adequately countered through such a national-level regulation.
Furthermore, Münch mentioned that one federal state is currently testing how quickly authorities can block the phone numbers or websites used by perpetrators, which he believes will dismantle the scammers’ business model. Finally, the BKA President suggested that the police must better automate and centralize the exchange of data concerning offenders. This data should be fed into a joint network file irrespective of the severity of the crime. He added that if a police officer only sees the individual case in their local jurisdiction, they will fail to recognize larger criminal networks.