Three key German intelligence agencies intend to roll out a Google-based cloud system for sharing classified documents, Germany’s public broadcasters reported on Monday. According to the report, the Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD), the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), and the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) plan to use an isolated version of the Google Distributed Cloud platform. The system, designated ND-Cloud, will operate autonomously, with no direct connection to the internet.
According to sources who provided the information, data will be stored exclusively on German soil, and Google will have no access to it. The platform itself will constitute a separate, specially secured IT network.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) dismissed concerns that reliance on a US-based technology company could compromise security or conflict with the country’s previous preference for European technology providers.
In a statement to the broadcasters, the office noted that European solutions remain a priority for building resilience, but stressed the importance of using the most advanced technology available. “The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution’s ability to act and innovate depends directly on having modern IT systems and technology platforms at its disposal,” the office said.