German Economy Hit with €300 Billion in Damages from Cyberattacks
Cyberattacks originating not only from criminal syndicates but also from foreign intelligence services have inflicted nearly €300 billion in damages on the German economy over the past year. This conclusion comes from the industry association Bitkom, which surveyed roughly a thousand companies. According to their findings, enterprises are increasingly confronted with targeted assaults, and state-backed actors are playing a growing role.
Almost half of the organizations that managed to trace the source of breaches reported evidence pointing to China, while about a quarter cited actors based in the EU and the United States. The most devastating impact stems from ransomware: in 2022, only 12% of companies fell victim, but by 2025 that figure had surged to 34%. One in seven businesses admitted to paying ransom to regain access to their data.
Large corporations are generally better equipped to withstand such threats, whereas small and medium-sized enterprises—the backbone of Germany’s economy—often remain vulnerable. Of the total €289.2 billion in losses, the bulk consisted of direct damages, including production downtime and theft, with additional costs stemming from legal proceedings and infrastructure recovery.
Sinan Selen, Deputy Director of Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, emphasized that the line between cybercrime and cyber-espionage is becoming increasingly blurred. He noted that state actors are more frequently purchasing stolen credentials on underground markets from ordinary criminals, and in some cases are directly leveraging the capabilities of private groups. Selen also identified Iran and North Korea as significant sources of hostile cyber activity.
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