Recent incidents such as sabotage against railway radio networks, attacks on power lines, drone intrusions around airports and military installations, and cyberattacks on water utilities and clinics have made it clear that industrial countries are vulnerable in this modern age. Alongside criminal acts and terrorism, critical infrastructures (KRITIS) can also be impacted by human errors and natural catastrophes. Germany's federal government uses the following definition: "Critical infrastructures are organizations and facilities of major importance for society whose failure or impairment would cause a sustained shortage of supplies, significant disruptions to public order, safety and security or other dramatic consequences." The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) ranks ten sectors as critical, including energy, water, health, transport and traffic, as well as state and administration.
In many cases, people are unaware of just how dependent we are on critical infrastructures until they actually fail. We use them all the time as a matter of course, but the details remain hidden. Continuously operating and protecting critical infrastructures and networks are daunting tasks, but Rohde & Schwarz is working in many different ways to ensure their reliability. The company is the technology partner of choice for various national and international regulatory authorities, governmental agencies and industrial concerns. "At Rohde & Schwarz, we don't just specialize in a single product. We pool our expertise and capabilities from a variety of different sectors. Such a broad spectrum of solutions directed towards operating and protecting critical infrastructures is truly one-of-a-kind on the market," explains Anne Stephan, Vice President Monitoring & Analytics at Rohde & Schwarz. "From government agencies to industry, we maintain a close line of contact with relevant stakeholders and decision-makers while keeping the big picture in focus. This allows us to advance the resilience of critical infrastructures and networks based on future-ready solutions."
At Rohde & Schwarz, we don't just specialize in a single product. We pool our expertise and capabilities from a variety of different sectors. Such a broad spectrum of solutions directed towards operating and protecting critical infrastructures is truly one-of-a-kind on the market.
"Anne Stephan, Vice President Monitoring & Analytics at Rohde & Schwarz.
Protection of critical infrastructures and networks involves physical security as well as digital security. Two EU directives that entered into force in early 2023 are helping to regulate both aspects: the Directive on Critical Entities Resilience (CER Directive) and the Network and Information Security Directive (NIS-2 Directive). In order to harmonize and improve the level of security within the EU, member states must implement both directives into national law by October 17, 2024. For the first time ever, the German KRITIS framework implementing the CER Directive will create regulations for physical protection of critical infrastructures covering all sectors and risk types across Germany. The requirements include resilience plans for KRITIS operators.
In the future, companies subject to NIS-2 will need to have evidence of appropriate risk management in the area of cybersecurity and report any cyber incidents. The directive considerably expands the definition of critical infrastructures. The Federal Statistical Office estimates about 30,000 companies in Germany will be impacted – more than five times as many as were subject to previous regulations.
Wireless communications are essential for critical infrastructure in an increasingly digital world – as is access to the radio frequency spectrum, the highway for wireless communications and navigation. The spectrum is needed to ensure smooth operation of critical infrastructure such as power grids, emergency management systems, public safety and transport. Without access to the spectrum, communications blackouts could occur, with disastrous consequences. Monitoring and protecting the spectrum is crucial for regulators – and for the well-being of businesses, industry and society at large. Rohde & Schwarz spectrum monitoring and mobile network testing solutions are there to help regulatory authorities and industrial partners.
Regardless of whether analog, digital or hybrid threats are involved, Rohde & Schwarz has a comprehensive portfolio of monitoring, analysis and security solutions that are highly relevant for critical infrastructures. "One key topic at this time centers around defending against drones. Drones are capable of causing immense damage at a relatively low cost," says Stephan. For example, these silent attackers can be deployed to obtain sensitive information, or they can be equipped with explosives. Margaritis Schinas, European Commission Vice-President, issued the following warning in a press release about the defense strategy against potential threats posed by civilian drones: "Malicious use of drones can pose a significant security risk, especially to Europe's critical infrastructures."
To allow timely and effective airspace protection, Rohde & Schwarz has developed counter drone technologies that are used at events such as G7 summits. The system intercepts the drone's radio link, classifies the signal type, and localizes the pilot and drone. By disrupting the drone's communications, it also interrupts the radio control link. The system is equipped to defend against a wide variety of drone types.
"Counter drone technologies are very important in a military context," says Stephan. "However, they are also becoming increasingly relevant in civil operations. For example, it is necessary to protect the airspace during events like the Munich Oktoberfest. Thanks to our experience, we are in the pole position when it comes to adapting counter drone technology for major events in a civil context." Counter drone solutions are already in use in civil air traffic control applications. This is an extremely sensitive area where Rohde & Schwarz has been a well-established name for decades. Rohde & Schwarz aviation communications systems are helping to ensure safe air travel at more than 300 airports and flight operations centers worldwide.
Solutions to allow continuous communications between aircraft and the tower are a key element in aviation safety – and thus a foundation of air traffic control. In case of less-than-perfect voice communications, the procedure is very strict: clear the sky. The airspace must be immediately closed. Future-proof communications systems from Rohde & Schwarz use voice over IP for more robust primary and backup communications with advanced capabilities. "One of our specialties involves ensuring resilient communications between pilot and controller," says Stephan.
Global and connected: Secure and reliable air-traffic communication is crucial.
Global and connected: Secure and reliable air-traffic communication is crucial.
The uninvited guest from above.
The uninvited guest from above.
In an emergency, rescue operations without secure and reliable communication technology are nearly impossible.
Safety in the air is highly dependent on the quality of security precautions on the ground. Like many other threats to critical infrastructures and networks, the risks can be greatly minimized directly on the ground. Access control thus plays an important role in the KRITIS framework (see the "EU-wide directives for heightened security" info box). Around the globe at airports, nuclear power plants, hydroelectric stations, military bases, data centers, courthouses and similar locations, Rohde & Schwarz solutions are used to perform security checks.
Rohde & Schwarz security scanners are well-known for their pioneering advances in contactless security screening. Thanks to the extremely high resolution provided by their market-leading millimeterwave technology, the AI-supported scanners can detect potentially threatening objects made of all types of materials. This includes metal objects, liquids, powders, gels and much more.
"Even tiny objects like USB flash drives or SD cards can be reliably detected," explains Andreas Hägele, Vice President Microwave Imaging at Rohde & Schwarz. "This is very important in the context of a clean-in/clean-out policy where exit controls are needed in addition to entry controls." An entry control alone is sufficient, for example, if the only requirement is to prevent smuggling of flammable materials into a nuclear power plant. However, in a scenario where it is necessary to prevent data carriers with malware from being smuggled into a data center and also prevent sensitive information from leaving the building on storage media, a security scanner at the entrance and exit is a secure solution. It is also extremely fast and uncomplicated: only a few seconds are required for anomaly detection, and the person undergoing the check does not have to go through any contortions. "Security checks should be noticeable, but they should not involve any difficult hurdles. Instead of impeding other processes, they should complement them by building upon the security factor," emphasizes Hägele.
Even tiny objects like USB flash drives or SD cards can be reliably detected.
"Andreas Hägele, Vice President Microwave Imaging at Rohde & Schwarz
Marienpark Berlin is an innovation quarter that promotes expertise and new ideas generated by selected startups, companies, research institutions, and social and political stakeholders under the umbrella of its organizer (KI Park e.V.). The goal is to turn Germany and the EU into a global leader among AI innovation locations by the year 2030. Rohde & Schwarz is part of this trailblazing ecosystem. In a living laboratory, the company has set up a completely automated access process, including security scanners. Here, visitors can experience how a secure, AI-supported access control system for a physical installation like a data center works under realistic conditions.
One thing all critical infrastructures have in common is that they are IT-dependent. This dependency is growing due to ongoing digitalization and networking. Of course, it brings many opportunities with it – while simultaneously expanding the scope for attacks. In its 2023 report on German IT security, the BSI concludes that the threat level in cyberspace is now higher than ever before. Likewise, the Allianz Risk Barometer 2024 estimates that cyber incidents including ransomware attacks, data protection violations and IT interruptions represent the biggest challenge for companies worldwide.
"In the digital era, data has become one of our most important resources. Data is the basis for our security, our well-being and our progress. It is very important to protect our data while we continue to advance our digital sovereignty," emphasizes Marian Rachow. He is the CEO of Rohde & Schwarz SIT GmbH and Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity GmbH, both of which form the Networks & Cybersecurity Division along with LANCOM Systems. Faced with today's ever-changing cyber threats, the three subsidiaries help customers under supervision of industrial security, authorities with high security requirements such as public authorities and defense industry customers, and KRITIS operators to reliably fulfill applicable IT security standards and protect their IT infrastructure. Together, they cover all security levels with their solutions. In the KRITIS food sector where unclassified data requires protection, retail brands worldwide use secure network infrastructure from LANCOM for their subsidiaries. Customers that need the highest security level also rely on Rohde & Schwarz. IT and high-security solutions from Rohde & Schwarz SIT are used to safeguard the classified data in digital communications for authorities and complete state networks.
"We have decades of experience with software cryptography and produce most of the hardware on our own," explains Rachow. "We control the entire value chain to ensure a high level of trust in our products." This is why customers like the public sector and government authorities also rely on Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity. In Lower Saxony, network encryptors from Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity are used in all state authorities to secure digital communications, ensure data protection, safeguard sensitive information and fulfill legal requirements. This helps ensure that confidential data is encrypted end-to-end in real time during computer network transmissions. "Each and every day, we encrypt multiple terabytes at 1500 locations," adds Rachow. "If a failure occurred, no one would be able to reach the fire department, nor could city halls and tax authorities do their work. Our level of responsibility here is massive, and I'm very proud that our technology has been operating for years now without any problems."
In the digital era, data has become one of our most important resources. Data is the basis for our security, our well-being and our progress. It is thus very important to protect our data while we continue to advance our digital sovereignty.
"Marian Rachow, CEO Rohde & Schwarz SIT GmbH and CEO Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity GmbH
This reliability also protects the German city of Dresden. Digitalization brings benefits, such as more efficient processes and simplified collaboration across multiple locations but it also poses challenges. A workspace without internet access is unthinkable and even impossible for most professions. Secure infrastructure is vital when working with sensitive data. Security gaps in browsers are the most common infiltration points for cyberattacks on government and corporate endpoints and networks.
The Rohde & Schwarz Cybersecurity portfolio has fully virtualized browser solutions that offer extensive, multi-phase workplace security. The solution models let networks be consistently separated, while preventing the establishment of unknown, possibly dangerous internet connections. The multi-phase system is perfectly suited to meet regulatory and legal requirements for workplace security.
Whether it's in cyberspace, in the air or on the ground, Rohde & Schwarz offers forward-looking technologies that are making a key contribution towards reliable operation and protection of our critical infrastructures and networks. This in turn serves as the foundation for a more resilient society within a safer and connected world.
Cities and municipalities are exposed to cyber attacks on a daily basis.
Cities and municipalities are exposed to cyber attacks on a daily basis.
AI-supported entry and exit controls protect data centers from unauthorized access.
AI-supported entry and exit controls protect data centers from unauthorized access.
Lighthouse-project Marienpark Berlin: An innovation quarter that promotes expertise and new ideas.
Lighthouse-project Marienpark Berlin: An innovation quarter that promotes expertise and new ideas.
