German cybersecurity chief sacked following reports of Russia ties | Germany | The Guardian

German cybersecurity chief sacked following reports of Russia ties | Germany | The Guardian: Among%20its%20membership%20roster%2C%20the%20Cyber%20Security%20Council%20Germany%20has%20since%202020%20listed%20a%20Berlin-based%20cybersecurity%20firm%2C%20Protelion%2C%20previously%20known%20as%20Infotecs%2C%20a%20subsidiary%20of%20a%20Russian%20company%20founded%20by%20an%20ex-KGB%20employee%20who%20has%20received%20a%20medal%20of%20honour%20for%20his%20services%20from%20the%20Russian%20president%2C%20Vladimir%20Putin.%0A%0A%u201CThe%20Russian%20company%20Infotecs%20that%20wants%20to%20protect%20our%20critical%20infrastructure%20from%20Russian%20cyber-attacks%20works%20with%20Russian%20intelligence%20services%2C%u201D%20B%F6hmermann%20said%20in%20his%20programme%2C%20expressing%20incredulity.%20%u201CRussian%20agents%20use%20Infotecs%2C%20which%20under%20the%20name%20Protelion%20GmbH%20sells%20German%20companies%20security%20software.%u201D%0A%0AWhile%20the%20programme%20did%20not%20allege%20that%20Sch%F6nbohm%20had%20continued%20to%20keep%20close%20ties%20with%20Protelion%20after%20becoming%20the%20government%u2019s%20security%20chief%2C%20the%20revelation%20raised%20questions%20about%20a%20key%20official%u2019s%20judgment%20at%20a%20time%20when%20concerns%20about%20the%20vulnerability%20of%20Germany%u2019s%20critical%20infrastructure%20run%20high.%0A%0AAfter%20B%F6hmermann%u2019s%20programme%2C%20the%20Cyber%20Security%20Council%20Germany%20expelled%20Protelion%20from%20its%20list%20of%20members%20but%20rejected%20allegations%20of%20undue%20Russian%20influence%20as%20%u201Cabsurd%u201D.%0A%0ANonetheless%2C%20several%20companies%2C%20including%20the%20software%20firm%20TeamViewer%20and%20energy%20company%20E.ON%2C%20cancelled%20their%20membership%20of%20the%20group.%0A%0AIt%20further%20emerged%20that%20even%20though%20Sch%F6nbohm%20had%20been%20urged%20to%20distance%20himself%20from%20the%20Cyber%20Security%20Council%20Germany%20he%20had%20co-founded%2C%20the%20cybersecurity%20chief%20had%20appeared%20at%20the%20lobbying%20association%u2019s%2010th%20anniversary%20party%20as%20recently%20as%20early%20September.