- September 10, 2026
- ; 12:30
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- September 10, 2026
- ; 14:30
Sabotaged undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, cyberattacks on energy providers, drones over airports, targeted disinformation during crises: hybrid threats against critical infrastructure are no longer a theoretical danger. They are deliberate strategy, and Germany is under pressure.
Large-scale power outages, most recently in parts of Berlin, have demonstrated that even in one of the world‘s most highly connected metropolises, disruptions to essential services can place hospitals, government agencies, and public order under serious strain within minutes. When such events are deliberately engineered, the threat multiplies exponentially.
With the KRITIS Umbrella Act (KRITISDachG), Germany has taken an important legislative step. Yet, a significant gap between legislation and lived resilience remains: in the coordination between the federal government, the states, and private operators; in the robustness of communications and digital radio networks under real-world conditions; and in the question of clear decision-making authority when it matters most.
The Digital Dish “When the Lights Go Out: Critical Infrastructure in the Age of Hybrid Threats” on September 10, 2026, will bring together leading voices from politics, federal authorities, security agencies, and civil society to address precisely these challenges. Under the Chatham House Rule, the discussion will examine how Germany and its partners can close the gap between legal frameworks and operational reality, where cross-sector collaboration is working, and where it is not.
We invite you to join this exchange to discuss the structural, legal and operational.
