Can Germany stop attacks on its key infrastructure?

What does it take to knock out parts of Berlin for days in the middle of winter — and how much do Germany’s authorities really know about who did it?

Last week, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CDU) announced an unprecedented reward: up to €1 million for information leading to the arrest of the culprits behind a major blackout that plunged parts of the capital into darkness in early January.

“We are dealing with a deliberate, highly dangerous attack on our society’s lifelines,” Dobrindt said of the sabotage, which left parts of Berlin without power for several days in subzero temperatures. “Those responsible must be brought to justice.”

Whether the plotters are caught or not, Germany is clearly signalling that it is taking this attack — and any future ones — far more seriously. On Thursday, the Bundestag adopted the Kritis-Dachgesetz, an umbrella law designed to fortify critical infrastructure, from power cables to communications networks, against sabotage.

Lawmakers described the legislation as a response to a growing range of dangers: from domestic eco-radicals targeting energy systems — as suspected in the Berlin blackout — to…