Putin also poses a threat

Head of intelligence warns: IS supporters are getting younger

Putin's army of agents is considered the greatest threat to Austria's internal security with cyber attacks and other acts of sabotage. DSN Director Sylvia Mayer faces major challenges with her service.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/AP/Pavel Bednyakov, Mario Urbantschitsch, stock.adobe.com)

She is an enthusiastic athlete and former national soccer team player: in an increasingly uncertain world, Sylvia Mayer is the first female director at the helm of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The smart Upper Austrian (39) talks in a major interview with "Krone" about foiled attacks, the crime scene in the children's room, social media bans for children under 14, ankle monitors for dangerous individuals, the hunt for Russian treasure – and Putin's army of agents as the greatest security threat.

At the age of 19, immediately after graduating from HTL, she entered the Linz Police Academy and went on to have an exemplary career. Twenty years later, Ing. Mag. Dr. Sylvia Mayer is the first woman to head the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN). A former U19 national team soccer player in central midfield – after tearing her cruciate ligament, she now finds balance in running, mountain climbing, and tennis – she reveals her tactics against the growing international threat to the "Krone."

"Krone": Director, what are the greatest security threats?
Sylvia Mayer: The greatest challenge continues to be Islamist terrorism, closely followed by right-wing extremism and terrorism. But left-wing extremism should not be neglected either, as the attack on Berlin's power supply has now shown.

Putin's army of agents is considered the greatest threat to Austria's internal security with cyber attacks and other acts of sabotage. DSN Director Sylvia Mayer faces major challenges with her service.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/AP/Pavel Bednyakov, Mario Urbantschitsch, stock.adobe.com)

How secure is our critical infrastructure?
We have one of the most secure energy supplies in the world. In addition, a new law has been passed that requires energy operators, healthcare providers, financial service providers, and water and food suppliers to take measures.

How many Islamist-motivated attacks were prevented last year?
Since 2023 (editor's note: Hamas terrorist attack on Israel), we have seen an increase in planned attacks in Europe and also in Austria. In 2025, several attacks were prevented again, such as the one on Vienna's Westbahnhof station by a 15-year-old. The threat level remains very high.

Experts are already talking about "crime scenes in children's bedrooms." Why is that?
The main reason for the massive rejuvenation of dangerous individuals and suspects is online radicalization. To give you some figures: if you look at the development of suspects, in 2021, 14 percent were under the age of 18, and in 2024, this figure had already risen to more than 40 percent. A second example relates to high-risk individuals (low three-digit number), i.e., people we believe could carry out attacks: in 2020, we saw an average age of 31, and in 2025, the average age is currently 23.

TikTok hate preachers and Islam influencers also radicalized the Villach attacker very quickly. Is there a need for a social media ban, as in Australia, for up to 14-year-olds, or the planned electronic tagging for dangerous individuals?
Jihadist content on social media is a major reason for the increase in the number of dangerous individuals in Austria. Young people are susceptible to online radicalization. In my view, it is urgently necessary to implement this measure with a minimum age at the pan-European level, even if it is not a panacea. Electronic tags, especially as a condition of release from prison for those convicted of terrorist offenses, also help.

Drones have changed the war in Ukraine. Last year, Germany reported hundreds of sightings, for example over airports and NATO bases. What is the situation here?
Russia continues to pose a major threat to the European Union as a whole. Drones are used for espionage, to test response capabilities, but above all to cause uncertainty among the population.

Drohnen, Sabotage, IS-Fanatiker

Das sind die größten Gefahren

• Neben Drohnen und Schutz der kritischen Infrastruktur stellt auch Putins Agentenheer mit Cyberangriffen sowie Sabotageaktionen und Desinformation die größten Herausforderungen für die DSN dar.

• Alarmierend sind die immer jüngeren Terrorverdächtigen. Wie etwa ein 14-Jähriger, der einen Anschlag auf den Wiener Westbahnhof plante und nach seiner Haftentlassung mit 15 wegen neuer Terrorpläne wieder sitzt.

• Bei der Jagd nach dem Russen-Schatz aufgrund von EU-Sanktionen ist indes die „SOKO Oligarchen“ höchst erfolgreich. So wurde neben mehr als einer Milliarde eingefrorenem Geldvermögen auf Kryptowährungs- sowie sonstigen Bankkonten etwa die 350-Quadratmeter-Luxusvilla in bester Döblinger Lage und die exklusive Wohnung mit traumhaftem Blick über den Wörthersee eines der reichsten Politiker Moskaus (und Mitglied der Putin-Partei „Einiges Russland“) beschlagnahmt.

Geopolitically, Vienna, located in the center of Europe, is considered the capital of spies. Which nations are most active?
As a hub and seat of many international organizations, Vienna continues to be a very attractive location for other intelligence and secret services. That is quite clear. It is also clear that intelligence personnel are among the diplomats in the respective embassies. The countries that pose the greatest threat to Austria are Russia, Iran, and China.

For years, there have been warnings about Putin's signal intelligence gathering via huge satellite dishes on the roof of "Russencity" in Vienna. What is being done to counter this?
We have put in place a bundle of measures to prevent the threat. On the one hand, there are building regulations, the Telecommunications Act, but also measures of a criminal nature. Individual technicians who operate this facility were expelled last year. But there is still more work to be done.

"Beautiful living" from Carinthia to Döbling: A luxury apartment in this complex with a fantastic view over Lake Wörthersee (left) and a 350-square-meter villa in a prime location in Vienna (right) were also seized by the "SOKO Oligarchs." The owner is one of Russia's richest politicians.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Sobe Hermann, Andreas Schiel)

Many criticize Austria's espionage law as very lenient by international standards. Does it need to be tightened?
Yes, it does. Currently, we are limited to the activities of intelligence services and the collection of information to the detriment of Austria. And not to other individuals or embassies and international organizations. In addition, an extension is needed because Russia is carrying out sabotage operations and exerting influence through disinformation.

The EU imposed sanctions on Russia after its war of aggression. What is the outcome of the "SOKO Oligarchs" investigation so far?
At the moment, we have frozen assets worth 15 million euros in real estate and more than a billion euros in actual assets such as bank deposits.