At the ongoing CeBIT 2015 in Haonver, Germany, former National Security Agency (NSA) IT systems administrator Edward Snowden appeared on center stage via live remote video link from Russia to discuss current security issues in the technology industry.

Snowden said spies are now turning towards information technology professionals, systems administrators and engineers as their prime targets to gain access to systems and sensitive information in databases.

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"They are looking for the people who are in this room right now: you will be the target." said Snowden.

"Not because you are a terrorist, not because you are suspected of any criminal wrongdoing, but because you have access to systems, you have access to infrastructure, you have access to the private records, people's private lives." Snowden continued.

"These are the things that they want. It is important for us to come together and prevent that from happening."

Snowden explained that encryption is the best way to protect private information.

"That means end-to-end encryption; we have to protect communications while they are in transit, we have to improve the security of the endpoints and make this transparent to users,"

According to a report, British intelligence agency M15 also warned last year about the recruitment of IT professionals by spies overseas to gain private information and national secrets.

Snowden also added during the interview his willingness to negotiate with U.S. authorities about returning home, and also to explain his actions to a jury.

"I want to tell the jury why I did it," he said. "I want to tell the court what these programs are. I want the jury to decide whether it was right or wrong that our rights were being violated in secret. I'm forbidden from doing that."

TagsEdward Snowden, CeBIT 2015, Hanover, Germany, NSA, National Security Agency, IT Professionals