Arne Schönbohm has been criticized for some time now. Now he is to vacate his post as head of the BSI. The reason: possible contacts with the Russian secret service.
Arne Schönbohm has been President of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI for short) since 2016. Schönbohm has always maintained close contacts with industry. And it is precisely these that could now be his undoing. On October 7, 2022, ZDF Magazin Royale reported on Schönbohm's possible connections to the Russian secret service KGB. According to reports from Bild and Handelsblatt, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser now wants to dismiss the head of the BSI.
Potential links to the KGB
"Protection you can rely on" is the slogan of the Berlin-based software company Protelion. But how reliable is this protection really? The company is at the center of an affair that is currently stirring up federal politics. After all, Protelion only recently emerged from a German subsidiary of the Russian company Infotecs. And not only was it founded by a former KGB employee, it is also said to cooperate closely with the Russian secret service.
What role does Schönbohm play?
Schönbohm was aware of the fact that Protelion may have links to the KGB and has therefore been in the sights of the security authorities for some time. Nevertheless, the BSI President attended the ceremony in September to mark the tenth anniversary of the Cyber Security Council Germany, of which the controversial software company is a member.
Prompt dismissal possible
The BSI is an important authority for a very sensitive area and must clearly distinguish itself from Russian intelligence circles, criticizes Green parliamentary group deputy Konstantin von Notz. A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of the Interior explained that they wanted to "examine all options on how to deal with the current situation". It is possible that Schönbohm will have to vacate his post as BSI President at short notice. An appearance with Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser that had been planned for weeks has already been canceled, and the Bundestag's Digital Committee will also be discussing Schönbohm's case shortly.
