Emmanuel Thomas, DPA, Monday, June 12, 2023
BERLIN – About one in 10 companies in Germany has fallen victim to a cyber attack or similar IT security incident last year, according to the results of a survey commissioned by the Technical Inspection Association (TÜV) in which 501 businesses participated.
“Cyber incidents are no longer an exception in the German economy, they are the rule and everyday life,” said TÜV Association President Johannes Bussmann in Berlin on Monday.
Sooner or later it affects every company, he added.
From the companies’ point of view, the greatest threat comes from organized cybercrime. But internal perpetrators, meaning current or former employees of companies or state actors, also pose a threat, he explained.
It fits into the picture that since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine last year, the number of cyber attacks against German companies has increased, Bussmann said.
“Parallel to the fighting on the battlefields, a cyber war is taking place on the internet – and not only in Ukraine, but also here with us,” Bussmann said. Cyber attacks on defence companies such as automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetall “are no coincidence.”
Around 16% of all companies surveyed had recorded more attacks. More than half said that the war had increased the risk of cyber incidents.
The consequences of such attacks are often serious: “Services of customers and employees are often unavailable, production fails or sensitive data is stolen,” Bussman said.
A good one in two companies has therefore also increased its expenditure on cybersecurity, according to the survey.
