A recent study has revealed that over 10% of German businesses fell victim to cyberattacks in the past year, with the war in Ukraine serving as a catalyst for a significant surge in hacking activities within Europe’s largest economy.
Source: Association of Technical Inspection Agencies (TUV) and Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI)
The Association of Technical Inspection Agencies (TUV) and Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) conducted a survey, which found that 11% of German companies experienced breaches in their IT security in 2022. This equates to approximately 50,000 attacks.
Among the surveyed German businesses, 58% stated that they observed an elevated risk of cybersecurity threats following Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Larger corporations, the public sector, and healthcare organizations were particularly vulnerable to these dangers.
To combat the heightened risk posed by hackers, 55% of affected businesses have bolstered their cybersecurity measures, as revealed by the survey.
In addition to the Ukrainian conflict, advancements in generative AI are also contributing to increased cybersecurity risks. Johannes Bussmann, President of TUV, noted that “the telltale signs and clumsy phrasing that make phishing emails easily detectable will soon become a thing of the past.”
These findings underscore the pressing need for German businesses to prioritize and strengthen their cybersecurity defenses in order to mitigate the escalating threat landscape arising from both geopolitical tensions and evolving technologies.
