German Cyber Agency Demands Mandatory Standards for Research Security

WISE NEWS PRESS / BERLIN, GERMANY — Nov. 5, 2025

"Research security is not an option; it is a prerequisite."

The Research Director of the Agency for Innovation in Cybersecurity (Cyberagentur), Prof. Dr. Christian Hummert, called for binding prerequisites and new structures to secure research in Germany during a public expert discussion held by the Bundestag Committee for Research, Technology, and Technology Assessment.

According to Prof. Dr. Christian Hummert's assessment, the German scientific system faces new security policy challenges. Research institutions are increasingly targets of espionage and knowledge outflow, while the strategic importance of security-relevant innovations is rising. The goal of his statement, he noted, is "to systematically strengthen research security at German universities and research institutions and thereby also contribute to strengthening Germany as a research location for security-relevant research."

His statement outlines six measures, ranging from mandatory (cyber) security standards to reforming academic incentive systems.

Six Measures to Enhance Research Security

Prof. Dr. Hummert's central concern is that state funding should only be granted if minimum standards for research security are met. He explained that this must be a process. In the initial phase, implemented research security measures could be assessed. Simultaneously, programs to increase research security should be launched to help institutions improve. Once achieved, a binding minimum standard for funding in critical technology areas should be introduced.

As a second measure, Hummert proposes an independent national Research Security body that jointly advises science and security agencies and defines standards. This body should also maintain a "breathing technology list" that regularly determines which research content is to be classified as security-relevant.

Furthermore, Hummert suggests a list of foreign cooperation partners that identifies potential security risks and is regularly updated. At the institutional level, he recommends establishing Research Security Committees at universities and research institutions that—similar to ethics commissions—take on advisory and auditing tasks.

Finally, he cautions that research security can only succeed if the academic reputation system is also revised. "As long as scientific success is primarily measured by publications – 'Publish or Perish' – research security cannot be implemented effectively."

With these six proposals, the Cyberagentur calls for understanding research security as a cornerstone of scientific excellence—not as a restriction, but as a prerequisite for responsible innovation.

Background on the Discussion

The Bundestag Committee for Research, Technology, and Technology Assessment deals with shaping the framework conditions for science and research in Germany. It advises on topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technology, and Supercomputing, ensuring the linkage of scientific findings with political decisions.

Participants in the expert discussion on research security included Prof. Dr. Christian Hummert (Cyberagentur), Prof. Dr. Katja Becker (German Research Foundation), Claudia Plattner (Federal Office for Information Security - BSI), and Sinan Selen (Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution - BfV).

The Agency for Innovation in Cybersecurity GmbH (Cyberagentur) was founded in 2020 by the Federal Government to take an application-strategy-related and cross-departmental view of internal and external security in the field of cybersecurity.

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