Companies are increasingly attributing attacks on the German economy—such as data theft or sabotage—to foreign intelligence services. While organized crime remains the “primary perpetrator group,” the digital industry association Bitkom stated on Wednesday upon the release of its new report on the protection of the economy, 37 percent of affected companies were able to attribute at least one attack in the past twelve months to a foreign intelligence service—a significant increase compared to the previous year.
A “dramatic increase” has been observed in this area, said Bitkom President Ralf Wintergerst at a press conference in Berlin. A year earlier, only 28 percent of companies affected by data theft, industrial espionage, or sabotage had been able to attribute the incidents to a foreign intelligence service; in 2023, that figure had been just seven percent.
Overall, according to the Bitkom study—which surveyed a representative sample of 1,003 German companies with ten or more employees between mid-April and early June—96 percent of all companies had been affected by data theft, industrial espionage, or sabotage, or suspected such incidents, over the past twelve months. This is roughly in line with the previous year’s figure of 97 percent.
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However, fewer and fewer companies can say with certainty whether such an attack has actually occurred: only 67 percent of firms report this, down from 87 percent a year ago. At the same time, the proportion of companies that suspect an attack but cannot definitively prove it has risen from 10 to 29 percent.
Consequently, it is becoming more difficult to quantify the total financial damage to the German economy, a figure that stood at 289 billion euros last year. For the first time, a “damage range” is being cited due to this increased uncertainty. This range lies between 211 billion and 270.8 billion euros and encompasses direct costs—such as those resulting from operational downtime or extortion—as well as lost revenue due to product piracy and the loss of competitive advantages.
“The ‘dark figure’—incidents that go undetected or unconfirmed—regarding data theft, industrial espionage, and sabotage is growing,” explained Bitkom President Wintergerst. “Almost all companies are demonstrably affected by attacks or suspect they are, with foreign intelligence agencies increasingly identified as the perpetrators.” He noted that intelligence agencies operate with greater professionalism and secrecy, thereby presenting targeted companies with new challenges. “At the same time, AI is opening up entirely new possibilities for less professional attackers as well,” he added, referring to artificial intelligence (AI).
According to Bitkom, more than half of the companies confirmed to have been affected (52 percent) were able to trace at least one attack back to China. The figure was 46 percent the previous year. Russia follows with 49 percent, up from 46 percent. According to the digital industry association, Iran has emerged as a new significant player in economic crime: nine percent of companies were able to trace attacks back to Iran, compared to just four percent the previous year.
Sinan Selen, Vice President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), emphasized that foreign intelligence services have intensified their hybrid activities and are “increasingly responsible for attacks on the German economy.” At the press conference, he also explained that state actors are increasingly making use of “cybercriminal groups” or so-called low-level agents.
Selen described the use of AI as a “booster for the threat landscape.” Cyberattacks are increasing not only in quantity but also in quality, making them harder to detect. Against this backdrop, he expressed concern that cybersecurity investments have recently stagnated. “We are now at a point where we need to adapt to new technologies,” he said.
According to the Bitkom study, the share of IT security spending within total IT budgets remained at 18 percent, unchanged from the previous year. The digital association and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) recommend allocating 20 percent of the IT budget to security.
Over the past twelve months, affected companies were targeted both digitally and through traditional means—such as the theft of physical documents, prototypes, or components. However, cyberattacks now account for 76 percent of total damages. A year ago, this figure stood at 70 percent; five years ago, it was just 59 percent.
Author: AFP – jm/pe – Translated by Blackout News
Sources used: AFP Press Portal