German cybersecurity chief: Safety of digital products is key

The government has a duty to ensure the secure use of digital products, according to the head of Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).

"As Germany's cybersecurity authority, our aim is not only to make people and organizations aware of dangers on the internet, but also to actively protect them," BSI President Claudia Plattner told dpa.

As an example, she cited the influence wielded by the manufacturers of digital products.

The makers of devices ranging from smartphones to smart thermostats can have access to sensitive user data, Plattner noted.

"It is the duty of the state to enable the secure use of all these products, many of which are currently manufactured outside of Europe," she said.

Data privacy is rated particularly highly in Germany, due to a history of state surveillance, at times hampering the country's digital progress.

"However, this does not mean that we at the BSI consider European digital sovereignty to be unattainable," Plattner added, rejecting reports along those lines.

Rather, she stressed that the BSI was taking a two-pronged approach, aiming at strengthening the European market and local digital industry, while ensuring non-European products are technically adapted or integrated for secure use.

"The more trustworthy products are available, the more confidently we can make decisions - and the more secure the digital future will be," Plattner said.

To this end, the BSI was collaborating closely with national, European and international manufacturers as well as open-source communities, she added.