Federal Office for Information Security

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Building in Bonn

The Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (abbreviated BSI - in English: Federal Office for Information Security) is the German government agency in charge of managing computer and communication security for the German government. Its areas of expertise and responsibility include the security of computer applications, critical-infrastructure protection, Internet security, cryptography, counter eavesdropping, certification of security products and the accreditation of security test laboratories. It is located in Bonn and has over 400 employees. Its current president is Dr. Udo Helmbrecht.

BSI's predecessor was the cryptographic department of Germany's foreign intelligence agency (BND). BSI still designs cryptographic algorithms such as the Libelle cipher.

[edit] Similar Agencies

The BSI has a similar role as the

NSA (United States)
CESG (United Kingdom)

Contrary to those organizations, the BSI seems to be separate from Germany's signals intelligence, which is part of the military and the foreign intelligence service (BND). However, it is unknown whether there is still some form of informal cooperation between the BSI and the BND.

[edit] History

According to various news reports, German signals intelligence conspired with the US' NSA to weaken Swiss cryptographic equipment made by Crypto AG. This allegedly allowed western intelligence to read the secret communications of countries like Libya and Iran.