German companies are increasingly facing cyber attacks. IT industry association Bitkom states that the economic damage amounts to about 290 billion euros per year.
According to the industry association, nearly 90 percent of German companies were digitally attacked last year. This involved data theft, espionage and sabotage. Machinery manufacturers and technology companies were particularly targeted. While there has been investment in IT security in recent years, Germany is said to have a shortage of specialized experts. Crisis plans are also often lacking.
Russia and China would often be responsible for these attacks. Just under 50 percent of cyber attacks are said to originate from these countries. Large organized criminal networks from Germany would also carry out these types of attacks.
German authorities have warned that cyber attacks are an increasing threat to the economy. They propose increased cooperation between government and industry.
