RWE boss urges better protection of Germany’s critical infrastructure

The head of German energy company RWE has called for stronger protection of critical infrastructure following a series of suspected sabotage attacks on the country’s power grid.

"We have to learn the lessons from these experiences, and quickly," Krebber said at RWE's summer party in Berlin. The acute threat to society and vital infrastructure from hybrid attacks could no longer be addressed with rules and bureaucratic processes designed for "times of peace," he said.

Krebber criticized transparency laws that make information about critical infrastructure publicly available. "The principle should actually be: secrecy rather than transparency," he said.

Companies such as RWE can use technologies including video sensors to monitor their own sites, Krebber said, but "the attackers prepare for possible attacks outside the company premises."

Companies should be able to detect threats earlier, he said. "We must also be allowed to monitor critical infrastructure in public spaces using all available technical means."

Krebber also raised the issue of what he called "physical self-defence." If a drone were approaching and it was clear that it would cause major damage, "the solution cannot be to call 110," Germany's emergency police number, he said.

"We need a debate on how we can improve the protection of critical infrastructure through closer cooperation between security authorities, the public and companies," Krebber said.

Critical infrastructure refers to sectors whose disruption or failure could lead to supply shortages, threats to public safety and other serious consequences. They include energy, information technology, transport and traffic.