Austria launches Federal Office for Cybersecurity

Austria has officially launched the Federal Office for Cybersecurity (Bundesamt für Cybersicherheit, BCS) as of October 1, implementing the Network and Information Systems Security Act 2026 (NISG 2026). This move fulfills the national implementation of the European Union's NIS2 directive, following a two-year delay.

Led by Markus Kasinger, formerly the CIO of Austrian Power Grid AG, the BCS operates under the Ministry of the Interior. The agency is tasked with coordinating responses to large-scale security incidents, developing national cybersecurity strategies, and managing the government computer emergency response team (GovCERT). It also oversees sectoral CERTs, such as Austrian HealthCERT.

A significant new authority granted to the BCS is the ability to perform active scans of internet-connected systems belonging to essential entities to identify security vulnerabilities. Blocking these official scans is now a punishable offense. While the agency does not possess police enforcement powers, it can impose fines of up to ten million euros for violations. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stated the agency's initial approach would focus on providing guidance rather than immediate punishment.