Germany's new Cyber Defense Center was officially opened by Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich at a ceremony in Bonn on Thursday.

The Center, which has actually been operating with a small staff since April, is tasked with spotting and evaluating cyber attacks and with developing counter-strategies. Most importantly, Friedrich said at the ceremony on Thursday, that means protecting institutions that are important for society as a whole, such as public utilities.

As of Thursday, the now fully-functioning Cyber Defense Center will bring together specialists from the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Criminal Police Agency, the German Intelligence Agency, the customs office, the Federal Office for Civil Protection, and the military. It operates under the authority of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI).