Tag Archives: Spies

What? Even more security?

October 10, 2024 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Germany is already more secure than Fort Knox when it comes to espionage as it is.

Although it’s more like the Fort of Hard Knocks, come to think of it.

Germany to beef up security checks amid spying fears – Germany’s government has said the country will tighten security checks for staff in sensitive areas of government and business. The move comes after an increase in suspected espionage cases…

Several cases of alleged spying for Moscow have rocked Germany since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In one case, a former German intelligence officer was accused of passing information to Russia that showed Berlin had access to details of Moscow’s mercenary operations in Ukraine.

Chinese espionage has also been a growing concern. In April, the most high-profile such case saw an aide to a German far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) member of the European Parliament arrested on suspicion of spying for Beijing.

Well, it was supposed to be a surprise attack, wasn’t it?

August 22, 2024 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

There are more Russian spies in Berlin than Russians in the Kremlin.

Scholz: Ukraine did not consult Germany over Russia incursion – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday Ukraine had not consulted Berlin about its Aug. 6 shock incursion into Russia and that he expected that military operation to be limited in time and territory.

Speaking at a press conference after talks with Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Chisinau, Scholz said Berlin was monitoring further developments around the incursion closely.

Ukrainian leaders have cast the attack as proof that their military can still succeed in offensive operations, and still surprise. Russia has vowed to repel the incursion.

How offensive

August 1, 2024 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Time to go on the defensive, again.

Germany blames China for ‘serious’ cyber attack – Berlin says Beijing behind 2021 hack on precision mapping agency…

The BKG, itself a part of the interior ministry, collects precision data about “the properties and position of every point on the surface of [the] country,” according to its website.

Its data systems are linked to many pieces of critical national infrastructure. After the attack was discovered, German security authorities worked to purge the BKG’s systems of Chinese intruders. The agency says it now believes its databases to be completely secure…

The accusations against Beijing come just weeks after the German government agreed a plan with telecommunications companies to strip Chinese technology from the country’s 5G networks over security concerns.

Sanctions work!

July 21, 2024 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

In theory, at least.

Spy-linked Russians restart trade with German toolmaker – Heller Tools exported machinery to entities linked to a covert FSB smuggling network.

Companies linked to a Russian spy ring have resumed buying machinery from a German toolmaker — just months after the manufacturer was warned about sales to the same smuggling network.

Analysis by the Financial Times has established that Heller Tools, a Dinklage-based group founded in the 19th century, sold a total of $1.2mn of drills and other tools to companies linked to the so-called Serniya smuggling operation.

Germany first to figure out what’s going on with Chinese 5G components

July 19, 2024 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

If you start counting at the end of the line.

Why Chinese technology set off alarm bells in Germany – Even as the German government moves to bar components made by China’s Huawei and ZTE from core parts of the country’s 5G networks, some German companies are looking to work with Chinese firms in other critical areas…

The ban comes as Chinese technology firms are increasingly viewed with suspicions for their allegedly too close ties to the government in Beijing. Especially Beijing’s drive to make companies like Huawei and ZTE world leaders in high-tech sectors makes Western governments wary of giving them too much influence on their national infrastructures.

So, wait a minute.

June 19, 2024 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

Are you trying to tell me that diplomats are spies?

Yikes. I honestly had no idea.

Russia buying spies to make up for expelled diplomats, German agency says – Russia has turned increasingly to blackmail and financial incentives to hire Germans to spy for it after the blow dealt to its intelligence services by Europe’s expulsion of some 600 Russian diplomats, Germany’s domestic security service said.

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said Russian intelligence services were spending big to recruit agents in Germany despite Western attempts to limit their operations since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Chronic overwork?”

May 28, 2024 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

In the German army?

Damn. Dodging responsibility is more stressful than I imagined.

German army officer jailed for spying for Russia – A German military officer has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for spying for Russia.

The man, identified only as Thomas H, had been a captain in the army’s procurement office when he contacted Russian embassy in Berlin and passed on secret military information…

The man claimed that chronic overwork had impaired his ability to think critically about his actions.

Spies and saboteurs?

May 19, 2024 By in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hi-tech, Hideology, Home Cooking Tags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

The Chinese? No way.

Communist governments would never do that kind of thing. They just aren’t those kind of people.

Germany could ban China’s Huawei, ZTE from parts of 5G networks – Germany is considering banning certain components from Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE in its telecoms networks, a government source said, in a potentially significant move to address security concerns.

“This is a sign that the German government may finally be taking China-related risks to national security seriously. But after years of dithering, the German 5G network is deeply dependent on Chinese suppliers. It will take many years to unwind this.”

Germans asked to stop being so naive

April 25, 2024 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Hideology, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Germans reply by saying “What do you mean?”

“Just because we’re uncritical, unquestioning and easily taken in doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re naive. It worked with Russia, didn’t it?”

German spy agency warns companies against being too “naive” on China – Germany’s domestic spy agency told companies on Wednesday they should be on guard against industrial espionage by Beijing, warning them not to be naive or over-reliant on China.

The warning from the agency’s deputy head Sinan Selen came days after three German nationals were arrested on suspicion of handing over technology with military applications – a case which has highlighted mounting anxiety across Western Europe about Chinese spying.

I can’t stand it…

April 18, 2024 By in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hurt Feelings Tags: , , , , , , Leave a comment

I know you planned it.

What could it be? It’s a mirage. You’re scheming on a thing, that’s sabotage!

German police arrest two suspected of spying for Russia – German police have arrested two men on suspicion of spying for Russia. The German-Russian nationals are accused of acting as agents for sabotage purposes.