The German government declared on Tuesday that the head of IT systems for the European Central Bank, Claudia Plattner, will be the new leader of the national cybersecurity agency. This comes after the former head, Arne Schoenbohm, was removed in October due to reports of possible connections to Russia. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said Plattner has the necessary experience and expertise to handle cybersecurity in these difficult times. She will take charge of the BSI agency on July 1, becoming the first woman in the role. Schoenbohm had co-founded a cybersecurity group a decade ago that included a company founded by a former Russian intelligence agent. The group said last week that the company had been removed. The Interior Ministry said in the fall that the allegations had damaged the public's trust in Schoenbohm's management. Schoenbohm defended himself against the accusations and has since taken up a new job as the head of another body overseen by the Interior Ministry, the Federal Academy of Public Administration. Plattner had been working for Deutsche Bahn's IT provider, DB Systel, before joining the ECB in July 2021. The Frankfurt-based central bank said it would announce a successor in due course.
This Cyber News was published on www.securityweek.com. Publication date: Wed, 08 Feb 2023 12:03:03 +0000