Björn Reiners, product manager at BWI GmbH, discussed the development and use of the BwMessenger, the secure messaging system used by the German Armed Forces, in an interview with heise online. Reiners explained that the collaboration with the Matrix Foundation, which provides the open source protocol for the BwMessenger, began five years ago when the Federal Ministry of Defense recognized the need for a secure messenger for the Bundeswehr. The decentralized structure and on-premises operation in their own data centers were important requirements, which many other messengers at the time could not fulfill. The Matrix protocol met these requirements and also supported a decentralized approach, making it an ideal choice for the Bundeswehr.
Reiners also discussed the future development of the BwMessenger, including its transformation into the BundesMessenger, which will be made available to other authorities as a blueprint. They are planning to integrate the new cryptological standard Messaging Layer Security (MLS) into the messenger to provide enhanced security guarantees. MLS allows encrypted communication for groups of up to 50,000 users, making it suitable for large organizations like the Bundeswehr.
Regarding security and privacy, Reiners emphasized that safety is the top priority for the Bundeswehr, and they evaluate new features based on their security and privacy compliance. For example, they use data protection-compliant alternatives for location sharing to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
BWI GmbH works closely with Element (formerly known as Riot), the company behind the Matrix protocol, and the Matrix Foundation. They have a development partnership and contribute resources for development, code, and testing. Reiners also mentioned that they work internally using agile project management methodologies like Scrum, with a focus on user-centric development.
The BwMessenger application is similar to WhatsApp, with features such as direct messaging, closed rooms, and open communities. There is also a desktop client available for access within the Bundeswehr network. While the BwMessenger is currently only available for members of the Bundeswehr and the Federal Ministry of Defense, there are plans to create another instance of the messenger for the Bundeswehr’s relatives and other authorities in the future.
