Shareholders decide on independent review of the allegations raised in the press

On June 22, 2026, the Shareholders’ Meeting of the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security decided to commission an external review of the allegations raised publicly regarding the international integration of the organization’s research activities. In order to rule out any appearance of conflicts of interest from the outset, the shareholders further decided to temporarily release Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Michael Backes, revocably and until the review has been completed, from the performance of his operational duties as Scientific Director. His appointment as Scientific Director remains explicitly unaffected by this. Michael Backes supports this step and welcomes the special review in the interest of a complete and thorough clarification.