The new head of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) warned of a growing threat from Russian, Iranian and Chinese cyber-attacks.

In an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung on Thursday, Claudia Plattner said the threat situation in the network is "bigger than ever". Germany as a European power and supporter of Ukraine is an "attractive target" for hacker groups, she added.

"The goals are espionage, destabilization and influence," said Plattner, who took office on July 1. “An increase in the number of attacks can also be observed from China and Iran.”

The German security authorities are concerned that pro-Russian activists, cybercriminals, and hacker groups from the Russian secret services are joining forces to attack Western systems, the report added.

Recently, websites of authorities and other important institutions have been paralyzed repeatedly. Many experts regard the fact that 5,800 wind turbines in Germany failed last spring as a result of a suspected Russian hacker attack.

The BSI head also called for the critical infrastructure in Germany to be better protected. Solutions are needed to "stop and fend off" attacks, she told Süddeutsche Zeitung, "just holding your hands up is not enough."

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) plans to give the Federal Criminal Police Office more powers so that it can actively defend against a hacker attack. Details of the plans are not yet known, but experts warn of the risks of interfering with third-party systems.