Feelings of IT security in Germany have decreased

The new magazine “Cybersecurity in Numbers” from G DATA CyberDefense and Statista contains a detailed situation report. The employee survey it contains shows the biggest problem areas of digitalization in Germany: a shortage of skilled workers, fear of cyber attacks and a lack of knowledge about what to do in an IT emergency.

The current study “Cybersecurity in Numbers” by G DATA CyberDefense and Statista shows: The corona pandemic and the Ukraine conflict have also left their mark on IT security. The G DATA Index – Cybersecurity fell by two percent within a year. This means: The perceived IT security in Germany has decreased. The index values ​​have fallen, particularly when it comes to specialist knowledge and feelings of security. At the same time, the perception of risk has decreased.

In a professional environment, a third of those surveyed rate the risk of falling victim to cybercrime as high or very high. In the private environment, the proportion is even higher – 38 percent. One possible reason: Many people lack the skills to protect themselves and their digital devices appropriately.

“For many years, cybersecurity was primarily an issue for the IT department that management only wanted to deal with selectively. That was and is a misjudgment,” says Andreas Lüning, co-founder and board member of G DATA CyberDefense. “IT security may start with technology. But it doesn't end there yet. Managers in particular must set an example of a good error culture and encourage employees to report errors that can endanger safety.”

Great staff shortage for IT security

For the second time, Statista has conducted a representative study on the status of IT security in Germany on behalf of G DATA. More than 5,000 employees were surveyed in their professional and private contexts.

The survey shows how great the staff shortage is in IT: Overall, 36 percent of those surveyed complain about a lack of employees in the IT sector. The situation is much more dramatic for small companies. In companies with fewer than 50 employees, more than two thirds of survey participants speak of a lack of staff. It is therefore not surprising that IT employees are generally desperately sought - especially in the area of ​​IT security. More than 44 percent of those surveyed from large companies see the greatest need for action here.

“The study by G DATA and Statista shows that there is no such thing as 100% IT security. We shouldn’t offer attackers more attack surfaces than absolutely necessary,” says Robin Rehfeldt, senior analyst at Statista. “In the second edition of “Cybersecurity in Numbers” we focus on companies and organizations and look at systems, structures or processes. And ask: How can and must companies position themselves in a world that is becoming increasingly dangerous? How does security work – for the institution, the management, the employees?”

Comprehensive IT security reference work

These exclusive figures are just a small insight into the magazine “Cybersecurity in Numbers” from G DATA, brand eins and Statista. In addition to a large-scale employee survey, the magazine contains exciting figures about IT security and serves as a broad reference work on the topic of cybersecurity:

– The number of reported phishing cases has increased by more than 1,560 percent within five years (source: FBI).

– The annual damage caused by ransomware in Germany increased by 358.5 percent from 2019 to 2021.

– According to the “Germany Safe on the Net” initiative, a third of German companies fell victim to a phishing attempt in 2021.

“Cybersecurity in Numbers” is characterized by a high density of information and special methodological depth: As data specialists, the researchers and market researchers at Statista have brought together numbers, data and facts from more than 300 statistics to create a unique overall value. More than 5,000 employees in Germany were surveyed as part of a representative online study on cybersecurity in professional and private contexts. The experts from Statista closely monitored the survey and, thanks to a sample size that is well above the industry standard, are able to present reliable and valid market research results in the “Cybersecurity in Numbers” issue.

The magazine “Cybersecurity in Numbers” is available for download here: https://www.gdata.de/cybersicherheit-in-zahlen

Article image: Pixabay
Source: PT

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