Digital Sovereignty: Wire to Replace Signal as Standard in the Bundestag

Against the backdrop of current phishing campaigns targeting messenger services and politicians, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) has appealed urgently to the members of parliament. In a letter obtained by heise online, she recommends that MPs use the Wire service.

The Bundestag administration actively provides Wire as an alternative to commercial platforms such as WhatsApp or Signal. Klöckner, who herself was affected by a phishing operation, argues on formal security grounds: Wire has certification from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and “enables fully end-to-end encrypted communication”.

The Bundestag President also refers to the registration process: unlike many competitors, registration with Wire is exclusively via an email address. The private mobile number is not used, and the email address used is not visible to third parties. This architecture is intended to make it more difficult for attackers to launch successful phishing attempts, as a central identification feature remains hidden.

New Standard for State Secrecy

The BSI has just granted the version “Wire Bund” the approval for data classified as “Verschlusssache – nur für den Dienstgebrauch” (VS-NfD). This allows authorities to exchange sensitive information within a controlled, agency-internal infrastructure. Wire CEO Benjamin Schilz sees this as a step towards greater digital sovereignty, which relies on the interplay of certified software and secure state operating procedures.

The new approval is initially valid until the end of 2028. This is due to the still missing post-quantum methods, which must also withstand attacks by quantum computers. Despite the certifications, a degree of skepticism remains. Critics point out that Wire is not a panacea against cyberattacks either. Phishing can never be completely ruled out. Attackers could try to obtain login data for the messenger via the easily guessable official email addresses of parliamentarians. This could lead to attack patterns similar to the recent attacks on Signal users.

Between Ban Policy and Personal Responsibility

Sharper tones are coming from conservative ranks. CDU/CSU parliamentary group deputy leader Andrea Lindholz (CSU) is calling for a ban on Signal for MPs and staff. However, such blanket approaches are met with a lack of understanding from experts, who see them as a lack of understanding of modern digital communication channels.

The debate highlights a deeper problem: often, the technology is not the weak point, but the human. Experts are therefore pushing for more digital education for the political apparatus. Security in the “new territory” of the Bundestag will ultimately also depend on how sovereign users themselves handle their digital tools.

(wpl)