German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere submitted draft legislation Tuesday that would impose more stringent cybersecurity requirements on companies and agencies looking after critical infrastructure.

The new law would apply only to entities that play a role in "important areas," including information technology, telecommunications, energy, traffic, transport, health, water, food supply, finance and insurance.

"Germany's IT systems and digital infrastructure should become the safest worldwide," a ministry statement read.

De Maiziere's proposal foresees that companies running critical infrastructure must always be reachable to ensure they can be warned as quickly as possible when cyberattacks occur.

Companies would also be required to report hacker attacks to the Federal Office for Informational Security, which handles cybersecurity threats.

De Maiziere denied the new law would mean huge administrative costs for affected companies, maintaining the bill was drafted only after consultations with industry representatives.

nz/cjc (AFP, Reuters)