prove and complete the existing CERT structures in Germany in an inclusive process which builds on what has already been achieved. This process should also take the development of the National Cyber Response Centre into account. Keeping the federal administration secure Rapid technological development, the growing complexity of information and communications technology and digitalization in public administration are creating new challenges for IT security management in the federal administration as well. The implementation plan for ensuring IT security in the federal administration (UP Bund) is the binding IT security guideline for all federal agencies and will be revised in line with current technical and organizational developments. The comprehensive project to consolidate federal IT (IT-Konsolidierung Bund) seeks in principle to merge the IT operations of the direct federal administration. One major goal of the project is to increase IT security. The project Netze des Bundes (networks of the Federal Government) is creating a consistent and secure network infrastructure for the federal administration. In a first step, the existing networks which are the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of the Interior are being migrated to a joint network, thereby establishing a single, higher level of IT security. In order to gradually migrate the remaining federal administration networks, this joint network will then serve as an integration platform for all federal IT networks. In addition, the Federal Government has launched a programme to promote secure mobile communications. The programme seeks to increase awareness of the need to use secure IT products and to pay attention to security-relevant features when procuring new products. The resilience of federal IT systems will also be increased in order to handle unavoidable incidents better. Working more closely with federal and state governments There are proven structures for federal and state cooperation in the areas of cyber crime, cyber espionage and self-protection. To further strengthen this cooperation, the BSI will be assigned the new task of assisting state-level agencies 26