Active cyber defence
A nuanced view of a complex security concept
In their groundbreaking work, our Director, Prof. Michael Waidner, and ATHENE Board Member, Prof. Haya Schulmann, have formulated a precise definition of active cyber defence, which encompasses those technologies and measures that support law enforcement in the prevention, mitigation and prosecution of crimes in cyberspace. They clearly distinguish this concept from hackbacks, which are merely retaliatory attacks against cyber attackers and do not aim to systematically prosecute or thwart cybercrime. Experts from the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the European Union Agency for Cynersecurity (ENISA) also emphasise that when implementing cyber security measures, it is always necessary to strive for a positive impact balance, in which any negative effects are significantly outweighed by the security gains or avoided altogether. The scientific work of ATHENE has pioneered the objective discourse on active cyber defence since 2022. The Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgruppe Nationaler Cyber-Sicherheitsrat took up the topic and asked Prof. Michael Waidner and Prof. Haya Schulmann to write an impulse paper under their leadership. ATHENE takes an interdisciplinary approach to the topic, including in particular the legal aspects.
ATHENE contributions in the field of active cyber defence
Whitepaper Aktive Cyberabwehr
Authors: Prof. Haya Schulmann, Prof. Michael Waidner
Download PDF, 240 KB)
"Aktive Cyberabwehr": Impulse paper of the Wissenschaftlichen Arbeitsgruppe Nationaler Cyber-Sicherheitsrat
Authors: Thomas Caspers, Prof. Gabi Dreo Rodosek, Prof. Claudia Eckert, Prof. Jörn Müller-Quade, Prof. Christof Paar, Prof. Alexander Roßnagel, Prof. Michael Waidner
Download (PDF, 447 KB)
Whitepaper "Maßnahmen aktiver Cyberabwehr - Eine strafrechtliche und völkerrechtliche Betrachtung"
Authors: Alina Boll, Tanya Gärtner, Tim M. Hacke , Denise Köcke
Download PDF, 879 KB)
Article in the DuD • Datenschutz und Datensicherheit: "Aktive Cyberabwehr Klassifikation und Einschätzung der technischen Möglichkeiten zur aktiven Abwehr von Angriffen"
Authors: Prof. Haya Schulmann, Prof. Michael Waidner
go to the article
Article in the F.A.Z.: "Der Weg zur aktiven Cyberabwehr"
Authors: Prof. Haya Schulmann, Prof. Michael Waidner
go to the article (paywall)
Interview with Prof. Haya Schulmann und Prof. Michael Waidner in the Tagesspiegel Background: "Hackbacks haben mit aktiver Cyberabwehr nichts zu tun"
go to the interview (paywall)
Contribution in the Tagesspiegel Background: "Aktive Cybersecurity"
Authors: Prof. Haya Schulmann, Prof. Michael Waidner
go to the contribution (paywall)
Viewpoint in the Tagesspiegel Background: Begriffsverwirrung verhindern: "Was Maßnahmen Aktiver Cyberabwehr sind – und was nicht"
Authors: Tanya Gärtner, Dr. Annika Selzer
Zum Beitrag (paywall)
