The Point: Chinese intelligence services are using cyberattacks and infiltrated personnel to extract research results and technology know-how from German universities — universities need better protective measures and regulations.
German security authorities are warning of systematic espionage by Chinese intelligence services at universities and research institutions. According to Constitutional Protection Agency President Sinan Selen, security awareness in research and teaching differs significantly from that in the business sector.
German security authorities have warned of intense espionage by Chinese intelligence services at German research institutions at the cybersecurity conference in Potsdam. Constitutional Protection Agency President Sinan Selen criticized security awareness at universities: while companies have become sensitized, research and teaching lack comparable precautionary measures. According to Selen, German research and teaching are the focus of Chinese intelligence service activities, employing cyberattacks as well as the infiltration of personnel for information gathering.
Concrete cases illustrate the extent: In May, it became known that a German couple of Chinese origin from Munich is suspected of establishing contacts with German universities on behalf of a Chinese intelligence service and luring German scientists to China through misrepresentation. In parallel, investigations are underway to determine whether security-relevant research results at the Saarbrücken Research Center for IT Security (Cispa) reached foreign entities and thereby caused legal violations. Media reports suggest that sensitive data and know-how on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity may have flowed to the People’s Republic through intensive collaboration with Chinese scientists.
BSI President Claudia Plattner announced that the federal government and institutions must review their protective measures and regulatory requirements. IT security expert Christian Dörr from the Hasso Plattner Institute emphasizes that universities are significantly more difficult to protect than companies due to their academic freedom and open exchange. Nevertheless, he registers a shift in thinking with regard to the risks of scientific espionage.
Source: www.it-daily.net · Published June 24, 2026
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