German companies are increasingly becoming targets of cyberattacks linked to foreign intelligence services. According to a new study by the digital association Bitkom, 37% of companies affected by data theft, industrial espionage or sabotage were able to link at least one incident in the last 12 months to a foreign intelligence service. A year earlier, the share was 28%, and in 2023 - just 7%.
The most frequently cited sources of attacks are China and Russia. 52% of the affected companies traced at least one incident to China, and 49% - to Russia. In the previous year, the share for both countries was 46%.
Organized crime, however, remains the most common threat. According to Bitkom, 62% of companies have cited criminal groups as the source of attacks. The association warns that the line between criminal structures and state-sponsored operations is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish.
The total economic damage from data theft, espionage and sabotage in Germany is estimated at between 211 billion and 270.8 billion euros per year. Bitkom is publishing a range for the first time because more and more companies cannot determine with sufficient certainty whether they have been attacked.
Cyber attacks account for around three quarters of the total damage. 57% of companies report a certain or suspected digital sabotage attack, 54% - for tracking or intercepting communications, and 45% - for for digital theft of business data.
Artificial intelligence is also becoming a more important tool for attackers. According to the study, 80% of companies expect the number of AI-based cyberattacks to increase, including through automated calls, fake audio and video materials and other forms of social engineering. At the same time, only 43% of enterprises believe they are well prepared for cyberthreats, compared to 50% a year earlier.
Cybersecurity spending remains largely unchanged and accounts for around 18% of total IT budgets of German companies.