Interview: Cyber as important as missile defences - ex-NATO general

Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG

21/11/2022 12:00

(For multimedia story on Europe's defence infrastructure: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/ukraine-crisis-europe-defence)
    By Sabine Siebold
       BERLIN, Nov 21 (Reuters) - A cyber attack on the German
ports of Bremerhaven or Hamburg would severely impede NATO
efforts to send military reinforcements to allies, retired U.S.
General Ben Hodges told Reuters.
    The European Commission proposed an action plan to bolster
cyber defence earlier this month; Hodges, who commanded U.S.
Army forces in Europe from 2014 until 2017 and has long argued
that civilian infrastructure is an essential pillar of military
strategy, said cyber protection is just as important as missile
defence systems to guard the German North Sea ports.
    Russia has recently increasingly targeted communications and
electricity infrastructure in Ukraine, and in October warned
"quasi-civilian infrastructure" may be a legitimate target for a
retaliatory strike against countries aiding the eastern European
country which it invaded in February.
    "Bremerhaven and Hamburg are actually the most important
seaports on which the alliance depends, for the military
equipment, not just commercial cargo," Hodges said.
    He recalled a 2017 cyberattack, dubbed NotPetya and
attributed to Russia, that first targeted Ukraine but spread
rapidly through corporate networks of multinationals with
operations or suppliers in eastern Europe. The Danish shipping
giant Maersk said the attack caused outages at its computer
systems across the world, so the company lost track of its
freight.
    "That was when I realised how vulnerable we are," Hodges
said. "If we can't use Bremerhaven, it will be very difficult
for the United States to reinforce and to fulfil its part of
operation plans." 
    In light of that, Hodges said, Berlin's decision to allow
Chinese group COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd to buy a stake in
a terminal in Hamburg, the country's largest port, caused "a lot
of anxiety ... because once they're there, they're inside the
ecosystem of the harbour."
    Hodges said the ports would be essential for bringing in
allies, "and so knowing that the Chinese may be able to
influence or disrupt activities at critical transportation
infrastructure, that's a problem."
    The defence ministry in Berlin declined to comment on
Hodges' security concerns. Hamburg port operator HHLA said it
constantly examines software, guidelines and methods to identify
and eliminate weaknesses as quickly as possible. The Chinese
foreign ministry said cooperation between China and Germany is a
matter for the two countries and third-parties "have no right to
meddle and intervene."
 (Reporting by Sabine Siebold in Berlin; Additional reporting by
Jan C. Schwartz in Hamburg and Beijing bureau; Edited by Sara
Ledwith)
 ((sabine.siebold@thomsonreuters.com;))