Protecting Critical Infrastructure: Fences and Security Guards Are Not Enough
The large-scale power outage in Reutlingen, following a suspected arson attack on the Reutlingen-West substation, has shown just how vulnerable our supply systems really are. Around 20,000 people, hospitals, and businesses were left without electricity for hours.
Yesterday, CEO Mirko Ross was a guest on Tagesthemen to discuss the incident. His clear message: protection through fences and security guards is only possible to a limited extent. “It is quite hard to believe that we can do so much through physical measures.”
The focus must shift: resilience instead of pure defense. Ross puts it in a nutshell: “We need to invest more so that when a critical component fails, we can compensate for it.”
The decisive question is: are there enough alternative resources available in the power grid to absorb such failures?
What is needed now:
- More funding and time for the protection and resilience of critical assets
- Investments in redundancy and compensation capabilities across grid operations
- Holistic strategies that span both physical and digital domains
The full interview is available in the ARD Mediathek (starting at minute 23:15):
Konrad Buck
Head of Press and Media Relations
Background & Expert Access for Media
- Product & technology insights – technical context, solution architecture, and real-world use cases for professional and trade media
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I speak openly, fact-based, and without PR spin. I am a former IT journalist with decades of experience in the IT and cybersecurity space, familiar with the highs and lows of the industry. Off-the-record discussions are possible upon request.
