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Skip next section 15% of German firms affected by cyberattack in last 12 months — survey
06/11/2025
June 11, 2025 15% of German firms affected by cyberattack in last 12 months — survey
According to a survey conducted on behalf of the technical inspection authority TÜV, approximately 15% of German companies with at least 10 employees has been affected by a cyberattack in the past 12 months.
However, most affected companies reported no damage resulting from the cyberattacks. Some reported minor damage, and only a few reported serious, existential damage.
"The German economy is in the crosshairs of state and criminal hackers who want to steal sensitive data, extort money, or sabotage important supply structures," said TÜV president Michael Fübi. One criminal tactic, he said, is to encrypt or steal company data and then blackmail the company.
The survey found that most common method used by hackers targeting German companies is phishing. This tactic involves sending emails to employees to trick them into clicking on a link, which allows the attackers to infect the company network with malware.
84% percent of affected companies report having experienced phishing attacks, which is a 12-percentage-point increase from two years ago.
In second place are "other malware attacks" at 26%. This refers to malware, which is used to steal sensitive data, for example. It is not always clear how the malware gets into a company's IT system.
Meanwhile, ransomware attacks (12%) and other methods, such as password attacks (12%), are declining, according to the survey.
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