Germany’s evolving hybrid threat landscape formed the backdrop for this year’s FORSI Security Conference, held on 6 October at the Hamburg Police Academy in cooperation with the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. With cyberattacks, drone-enabled surveillance, and recent sabotage of critical infrastructure underscoring rising national vulnerability, the event convened public authorities, municipal leaders, business representatives, and security practitioners to examine whether current legal frameworks and preparedness practices are keeping pace.
The Ligue’s Executive Director, Stefan Huber, attended the event, which examined how responsibility for resilience is distributed—from individual citizens to major cities, essential service providers, and security authorities.
“One message was particularly clear: resilience starts with each stakeholder taking responsibility for their own preparedness first,” said Huber. “For citizens, this means being self‑sufficient for at least the first three days of a crisis. For businesses, especially operators of critical infrastructure, it means assuming primary responsibility for protecting their assets and essential operations.”
Throughout the day, presentations highlighted the pivotal role of municipalities in fostering self‑protection, the growing expectations placed on businesses to maintain continuity under stress, and the operational demands facing police and fire services as crises become more complex. Together, these discussions framed a central question for Germany and its partners: how can institutions strengthen self‑preparedness in an era where disruptions are more frequent, more hybrid, and more consequential?
“Self‑sufficiency is key, but resilience cannot be built in isolation,” Huber noted. “It requires all stakeholders to be prepared, aligned, and capable of working together— particularly when multiple crises strike simultaneously and public resources are stretched to their limits.”
Leaving the significant capabilities and resources of private security out of national resilience and defense strategies creates a gap that may only become visible when a crisis hits.
One link in this chain that Huber said deserves greater attention is the private security industry. “Qualified private security companies already contribute significantly to protecting critical infrastructure, supporting public safety, and reducing risks. Their capabilities complement those of police and emergency services, while connecting businesses and communities with the wider security architecture.”
Leaving the significant capabilities and resources of private security out of national resilience and defense strategies creates a gap that may only become visible when a crisis hits. Integrating them at an early stage—long before any crisis emerges—requires clear responsibilities, effective coordination, information sharing, and, above all, joint preparation and exercises.
“It was an excellent platform for bringing together valuable perspectives from across the spectrum, and clearly made the point that redundancy is not a luxury, but a prerequisite for resilience,” said Huber.