Cybercrime in Germany: A Growing Concern in 2020
Rise in Cyberattacks Targeting Online Users
In 2020, Germany witnessed a significant surge in cybercrime cases, with common types including phishing, ransomware, and insider threats. These trends mirrored global developments, particularly in the wake of increased digital reliance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Phishing Attacks on the Rise
Phishing attacks, which involve fraudulent attempts to obtain sensitive information via email, emerged as a significant vector for cybercrime. According to global reports, phishing attacks accounted for 80-95% of breaches in 2020, with business email compromise attacks causing losses of $1.8 billion that year [3]. In Germany, these attacks were also prevalent, though specific loss figures were not provided.
Ransomware Affects Various Sectors
Ransomware attacks, which lock data and demand payment, targeted public sectors, municipalities, healthcare, and other industries in Germany. These attacks were part of broader cyberattack trends [2].
Insider Threats Pose a Growing Challenge
Incidents caused by employees or insiders, either maliciously or inadvertently, increased in frequency, creating a growing challenge for organisations.
Survey Highlights Cybercrime Experiences
A survey conducted by Bitkom Research in 2020 shed light on the cybercrime experiences of internet users in Germany. The survey, which involved 1,016 internet users aged 16 and over, revealed that 61% of internet users in Germany were victims of cybercrime in 2020, an increase from 55% in 2019.
Some specific findings from the survey include:
- Malware on smartphones or computers was the most common issue, affecting nearly half of users (48%).
- One in ten reported being a victim of online banking fraud.
- Twelve percent reported experiencing sexual harassment online.
- Thirteen percent said they had been verbally attacked or insulted online.
- Six percent were confronted with unconstitutional symbols or extremist statements online.
- Fifteen percent of respondents said they had been deceived while shopping or conducting business online in the past 12 months.
- One in three (33%) internet users had their personal data shared with third parties without consent.
- Six percent of users had their digital identity stolen, and five percent had unwanted emails sent in their name.
Prevention Measures
Prevention measures against cybercrime involve improving cyber readiness, employee training on phishing, and deploying insider threat detection technologies. Regular updates to security infrastructure, incident response planning, and cyber insurance are also recommended to mitigate evolving threats.
References
[1] [Bitkom Research Report on Cybersecurity in Germany] [2] [Cybersecurity Report by Federal Office for Information Security (BSI)] [3] [Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report 2020] [4] [Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report] [5] [European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) Threat Landscape Report 2020]
Other technology such as insider threat detection systems could help organizations better protect against growing challenges posed by insider threats. The rise in cybercrime, specifically phishing attacks, underscores the need for improved cybersecurity technology and employee training to prevent data breaches, especially in sectors like business.
