German cybersecurity chief out amid reports of Russia ties

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s Interior Ministry says that the head of the national cybersecurity agency has been dismissed following reports of possible ties to Russian intelligence. The ministry said Tuesday that Interior Minister Nancy Faeser dismissed Arne Schoenbohm as head of the BSI agency. Schoenbohm co-founded a cybersecurity group a decade ago that brings together experts from public institutions and the private sector. German media have reported that one of its members is a company founded by a former Russian intelligence agent, which the group said last week it had thrown out. The German news weekly Der Spiegel quoted Schoenbohm as saying he had asked Monday for disciplinary proceedings to be opened to clear up the matter.