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Publications by Mirko Hohmann
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Commentary 11 Jun 2019
How Medellín Went From Murder Capital to Digital Frontrunner
The Colombian city's treasury department uses a bot to tackle tax evasion online. But even the best ideas run into bureaucracy.… -
Policy brief 11 Jun 2019
Tracking Potential Tax Evaders on Instagram
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Policy brief 21 Jan 2019
System Upgrade: Improving Cross-Border Access to Electronic Evidence
By Sophie Barnett, Mirko HohmannWhen it comes to improving cross-border access to data for law enforcement, the US CLOUD Act & the EU E-Evidence Initiative are a step in the right direction. Still, reform of the existing system of mutual legal assistance should be priority number one.… -
Article 27 Aug 2018
Wider das autoritäre Modell
Es ist höchste Zeit, das Verständnis eines „freien und offenen“ Internets auf die Höhe der Zeit zu bringen, damit Deutschland und Europa den Wettbewerb mit dem autoritären Ansatz glaubwürdig und schlagkräftig bestreiten können.… -
Study 28 Jun 2018
How European Internet Foreign Policy Can Compete in a Fragmented World
The “free and open” approach to internet governance originated in the US and emphasized (self-)regulation through multi-stakeholder governance processes. Using the words of US president Clinton’s internet czar Ira Magaziner, this approach argued “against a traditional regulatory role for… -
Commentary 06 Mar 2018
Deutschland 4.0? Germany’s Digital Strategy Over the Next Four Years
Digital and cyber issues were recurring themes during Germany’s recent election. The coalition agreement, which gave Angela Merkel another four years as Chancellor, picked these themes up, but left many questions unaddressed. Nevertheless, here’s what we can expect from the new German government… -
Study 16 Jan 2018
Front, Back, and Trap Doors: Refocusing the Encryption Debate
The “if” and “how” of regulating encryption technologies has long been a matter of heated debate. One side demands that users should be able to protect their data fully not only from access by criminals or companies, but also from governmental access by means of strong encryption. On the other hand,… -
Commentary 29 Jun 2017
Germany’s Misguided Social Media Law Is a Minefield for US Tech
U.S. tech firms have always found the European market a tricky one to navigate. They struggled with a public backlash following Edward Snowden’s disclosures and have had to cope with what they perceive to be awkward court decisions, like the right to be forgotten. Now, they face an entirely new… -
Commentary 20 Apr 2017
Internet Companies Cannot Be Judges of Free Speech
For U.S. internet corporate giants, Germany has become ground zero in the global regulatory battle on how to deal with hate speech on social media platforms. Facebook’s concern that the draft of a new law currently making its way through the German legislative process “would force private companies… -
Commentary 12 Apr 2017
Why Policymakers Should Care About Weak Digital Infrastructure Abroad
Last month, INTERPOL cybercrime experts travelled to Sri Lanka to advise local police officers on cybercrime investigations and the development of digital forensics capabilities. Similar workshops have slowly been set up in various countries where digital infrastructures are being developed, and… -
Study 06 Mar 2017
Advancing Cybersecurity Capacity Building: Implementing a Principle-Based Approach
Executive Summary Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become critical catalysts for sustainable development. Yet no country will be able to reap the full potential of ICTs without also building cybersecurity capacity to address the risks associated with connectivity, such as… -
Commentary 28 Dec 2016
Wider das digitale Kompromat
Deutsche Spitzenpolitiker und Geheimdienstchefs haben in den letzten Wochen in aller Deutlichkeit auf die Gefahr russischer Einflussnahme auf die kommenden Bundestagswahlen hingewiesen. In der Tat: Nach dem beträchtlichen Erfolg bei der Einmischung in die US-Wahlen wird für die russische Führung die… -
Commentary 16 Dec 2016
Europe in Russia’s Digital Cross Hairs
In recent weeks, politicians and intelligence officials in France and Germany have stepped up their warnings of Russian interference in the national elections both countries will hold next year. In late November, Bruno Kahl, the head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service, told the Süddeutsche… -
Commentary 19 May 2016
The Encryption Debate We Need
In late March, the FBI announced that it would drop its lawsuit against Apple because it was able to unlock the iPhone of Syed Rizwan Farook, a gunman in the December shooting in San Bernardino, California, without the tech giant’s help and using an undisclosed vulnerability. Apple remains alarmed –… -
Commentary 19 May 2016
In der Kryptofalle
Während in den USA heftige Auseinandersetzungen um Verschlüsselungsmethoden und die daraus resultierenden Herausforderungen für Sicherheitsdienste toben, herrscht in Deutschland Ruhe. Offiziell gilt das Regierungsmantra der "Digitalen Agenda": "Wir unterstützen mehr und bessere Verschlüsselung",… -
Commentary 13 Apr 2016
How Europe Can Get Encryption Right
While Europe has taken a great interest in the “crypto war” between the US government and Apple as well as other Silicon Valley behemoths, it has yet to wake up to the gathering storm of encryption policy within its own borders. Various EU governments have proposed unilateral measures on how to deal… -
Commentary 01 Apr 2016
Reform, Especially in Times of Terror
He would be forced to “close up shop.” With these words, Gerhard Schindler, head of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), warned against a substantial reform of the agency, implying that stronger regulation of the BND would harm its ability to provide security to Germany. After the recent… -
Commentary 11 Jan 2016
Deutschland braucht ein unabhängiges digitales Notfallteam
Ende des vergangenen Jahres versetzten Hinweise auf eine Kooperation zwischen dem FBI und einem der bekanntesten US-amerikanischen IT-Sicherheitsteams die Netzgemeinde in Aufruhr. Demnach sollen Forscher des renommierten Cert/CC dem FBI dabei geholfen haben, das Anonymisierungsnetzwerk Tor zu… -
Commentary 11 Jan 2016
Germany Needs an Independent Digital Emergency Response Team
When reports emerged late last year that researchers from CERT/CC, a respected American network security team, had helped the FBI to hack the anonymity network Tor, IT security experts were worried. Bodies like CERT/CC (the CERT Coordination Center), Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and… -
Study 19 Nov 2015
National CSIRTs and Their Role in Computer Security Incident Response
Executive Summary Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs) are an important pillar of global cybersecurity. What was once a small and informal community now comprises hundreds of CSIRTs, including governmental and non-governmental institutions. An important trend in recent years has been…