Thank you, President.

Germany aligns itself with the statement of the European Union.

I would like to add the following remarks in national capacity.

Like other delegations, we want to thank the Republic of Korea for this initiative to discuss the evolving cyberthreat landscape and its importance for the maintenance of international peace and security.

We see merit in further exploring the role of the Security Council in this important field.

President, we (all) face an increasingly complex landscape of cyberthreats.

Just last year, my own country, Germany recorded a record-high number of sophisticated ransomware attacks against critical infrastructure like hospitals.
These attacks endanger public safety, patients’ lives and public trust.
Economic damages are in the billions.

“Ransomware-as-a-service” enables actors without technical skills to carry out ransomware attacks.
The increasing proliferation of these malicious cyber tools contributes to blurring the lines between cybercriminals and state-controlled hackers acting upon political motives.
It allows those actors the financing of illicit arms programs, which pose increasing risks to international peace and security.

We are convinced that we need to join forces to fight cybercrime.

Germany actively participates in the Counter Ransomware Initiative.
In this initiative we strive to foster cyber resilience through greater international cooperation in the areas of capacity building and diplomacy.

President, Germany is especially concerned about the use of cyber means in armed conflict.

We already observe worrying spillover-effects in our networks from the cyber dimension of international conflict.
Both, state and non-state actors, are exploiting cyber vulnerabilities to advance their agendas.
These patterns disrupt trust among nations and cause concern for the maintenance of international peace and security.

We therefore call on all states to adhere to the UN Norms of Responsible State Behavior in cyber space.

It is our firm conviction that the UN charter does apply in cyberspace.

As mentioned by the European Union, existing rules and principles of International Humanitarian Law place important limits on cyber operations.

We ask all states to work together in this spirit, in order to contribute to a safe and rules-based cyber space.

Thank you.