Cispa research center flagged for security lapses in China collaborations

An audit by KPMG has identified security deficiencies at the Cispa Helmholtz Center for Information Security in Saarbrücken, Germany. The report indicates that the research center failed to sufficiently protect data and trade secrets while cooperating and publishing with risky individuals and institutions from the People's Republic of China.

Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär informed the Bundestag's research committee of the findings. The audit was prompted by concerns regarding the intensity of collaboration with Chinese scientists, particularly in sensitive fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data protection. In one research group, 18 out of 19 members were of Chinese origin, while another group focused on machine learning and data privacy consisted entirely of Chinese scientists.

While the 400-page report concludes that the center's cooperation was concerning, it states that a definitive leak of security-relevant knowledge cannot be confirmed or ruled out. Due to the sensitive nature of the findings, the full report has been classified as ‘VS-vertraulich’ (classified) and will not be released to the public.