Germany’s intelligence services are building an isolated platform based on Google

Germany’s three key intelligence agencies are planning to deploy a new cloud platform based on Google technology for the secure exchange of classified documents and operational information. Source: Anadolu

The project, called ND-Cloud, will involve the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD), the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), and the Federal Intelligence Service (BND). The information system will run on an isolated version of Google Distributed Cloud that has no direct connection to the global internet.

The platform being developed is a standalone, specially secured IT network, with its server hardware located exclusively in Germany. Sources stress that Google and third parties will have no access to the data stored and processed by the intelligence agencies.

Germany’s counterintelligence agency has dismissed concerns about using an American technology stack, saying that adopting the most advanced solutions is essential to foster innovation, enable a rapid response, and ensure the national security system remains highly resilient in the face of modern digital threats.

Moving to a single isolated cloud will allow Germany’s intelligence agencies to speed up the processing of intelligence and improve effective coordination between agencies. Experts note that the decision to enlist a major IT giant underscores the German intelligence services’ determination to modernize their digital capabilities amid growing cyber threats and hybrid conflict. The new infrastructure is expected to become the standard for protecting state secrets and preventing information leaks during interagency cooperation.

Recall that Germany is radically restructuring its intelligence services to combat Russian espionage.