Guest commentary: Improve insider risk management: The BND must rebuild lost trust

The arrest of former BND President August Hanning is putting a strain on trust in the Federal Intelligence Service. Hanning is being investigated on suspicion of attempted treason and other crimes that endanger the state. The presumption of innocence applies, but trust has already been damaged.

This is fatal because intelligence services rely on the trust that sensitive information is protected there. This particularly applies to the cooperation between different services.

Intelligence services rely on the exchange of sensitive information; they are the basis of any cooperation. Anyone who shares knowledge with a partner must be sure that it will remain protected.

If this reliability is in doubt, passing it on becomes a risk. Partners must consider what information they can still share without jeopardizing sources and operations. If they become more cautious, the BND may lose intelligence that it cannot obtain itself.