- Increasing concern: 81 percent consider their own data online to be insecure
- Great interest: Germans spend 33 minutes more time on social networks
- Questionable content: 56 percent come into contact with fake news online
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is accompanied by cyber attacks. The effects can also be felt in Germany and people in the country are worried about an escalation in the digital space. Three quarters (75 percent) of Germans are currently afraid of a cyber war against the Federal Republic, and 20 percent fear that a digital escalation could lead to a conventional military conflict. This is the result of a representative survey commissioned by the digital association Bitkom, for which more than 1,000 people aged 16 and over were interviewed by telephone in March of this year.
“We must take the widespread concerns about a cyber war against Germany seriously. From critical infrastructure to the PCs and smartphones in households, we must make Germany more resilient to external attacks.”
Bitkom Managing Director Dr. Bernhard Rohleder
Only a minority is of the opinion that the Bundeswehr is sufficiently equipped to defend Germany in cyberspace. 87 percent do not see the troops in a position to do this, and only 10 percent believe in the German military's ability to defend itself in cyberspace. Accordingly, many people consider the special fund of 100 billion euros recently presented by the federal government to strengthen the Bundeswehr to be too low; For 48 percent the resources are not sufficient. 38 percent think the amount is exactly right, less than a tenth (9 percent) think the expenditure is too high, with 4 percent generally not wanting to provide the Bundeswehr with any additional money.
In order to protect themselves from cyber attacks or wars in the future, a large part of the population is relying on targeted preparations and correspondingly higher investments. 76 percent demand that the state should have additional economic sanctions in place in the event of an attack. Around seven out of ten respondents (72 percent) call for investments in the security of critical infrastructure, such as the protection of hospitals or electricity and water network operators. 67 percent want to push investments in cyber defense units of the Bundeswehr, 65 percent would like to set up digital disaster protection and almost six out of ten people (57 percent) are of the opinion that emergency training for the population on digital defense measures is needed. Only 3 percent think that Germany should not prepare for cyber attacks or cyber war.
Given the tense security situation, many people are afraid of becoming victims of cyber attacks themselves: 59 percent are worried about being indirectly affected by attacks on critical infrastructure. 25 percent fear direct attacks on their personal devices. 40 percent are not worried about cyber attacks.
“Since Russia began its war of aggression in Ukraine, cyberspace has only played a secondary role. But as the war continues, that could change – with immediate consequences for Germany and its economy.”
Bitkom Managing Director Dr. Bernhard Rohleder
Even if the Internet seems “like a new Wild West” these days, in which states, hacker groups and self-proclaimed cyber armies cavort, the war in Ukraine does little to change the threats that have been observed for a long time, said Rohleder.
“Be it ransomware groups or state espionage activities: the types of attacks and gateways are known. The human factor will continue to play a crucial role in this.”
Bitkom Managing Director Dr. Bernhard Rohleder
A third take additional security measures for private devices
The majority of people consider their own personal data on the Internet to be unsafe. 81 percent believe that their data on the Internet is somewhat or even very insecure, while only 19 percent believe it is secure. For comparison: in 2020, only 68 percent had concerns about the security of their data.
However, since the start of the war in Ukraine, only 33 percent of those surveyed have taken additional security measures to protect private devices. Half (49 percent) generally do not want to take any additional precautions, 12 percent are still planning to do so. Those who opt for more private security say they act more carefully when surfing the Internet (28 percent), are more attentive to phishing emails (24 percent) or are more informed about acute security risks (21 percent). Only a few take concrete measures: 14 percent install security updates immediately, 12 percent save additional external backups of their data and just under a tenth (9 percent) have changed or strengthened passwords.
“Private individuals should generally be more vigilant when surfing and regularly check their own online activities - they should check when the last log-ins took place on which devices and whether their accounts were accessed from unknown devices. In addition, no unsafe websites should be accessed and security warnings on websites should be taken seriously. This advice applies in principle, and not just since or because of the war in Ukraine - but now even more so.”
Bitkom Managing Director Rohleder advises attention and effective security measures
Great need for information about the Ukraine war
The population is united by a great need for information about the war in Ukraine: There is no one who says they are not informed about the current situation. Many people use a wide range of media offerings. 98 percent get their knowledge about the war from radio or television, 82 percent from personal conversations and more than half of people (51 percent) from print media. On the Internet, online news sites (62 percent) dominate as the most important source of news, followed by social networks (42 percent). 27 percent use video clips to find out about the war, 19 percent use messenger services and 18 percent use podcasts. Only 10 percent find out about current events in blogs and 5 percent on websites of ministries or authorities.
The amount of time people spend searching for information online has increased since the start of the war. 63 percent of social media users in Germany say they use social media more often - an average of 33 minutes more per day. 27 percent use social media just as often as before. Only 9 percent use social media less often; on average 23 minutes less per day.
People have also increased their corresponding activities. 51 percent of all social media users are currently giving more likes, and 48 percent are sharing content more frequently. Almost half (44 percent) say they consume more content, and 37 percent leave more comments. In addition, a quarter of users (25 percent) say they write more posts themselves.
The respondents underline the important role of social networks in the Ukraine war. 70 percent of internet users welcome the fact that social media gives Ukrainians more visibility for their situation. 56 percent feel closer to the action through social media. At the same time, more than half (52 percent) are bothered by the fact that they are confronted with so much suffering and misery on social media. However, many are also likely to use the intense debate as an opportunity to support the people in Ukraine: 53 percent say they can provide quick and effective help thanks to social media - for example with donations or organizing accommodation.
Many people find it difficult to properly categorize information about the war
57 percent confirm this. When searching for information, many have come into contact with fake news since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Overall it is 56 percent - 15 percent often, 25 percent occasionally and 16 percent at least now and then. 39 percent said they had not yet had anything to do with fake news.
Many users are generally concerned about the spread of false information about the war on social media (73 percent). 85 percent are of the opinion that it should be taught in school how to identify hoaxes and fake news. So far, however, only 28 percent say they check questionable information online using so-called “fact checkers”.
“Fake news and misinformation are a threat to our democracy. They undermine the credibility of our media and lead us to believe supposedly simple answers to complex questions.” When dealing with information, it is therefore important to critically question and examine the content. This is the responsibility of every user. Rohleder: “If you are not sure whether a message is correct, you should not share it carelessly, but rather check the author, verify the content using a search engine and use fact-checking services.”
Bitkom Managing Director Dr. Bernhard Rohleder
In order to counteract the spread of false information, 68 percent want Russian propaganda media that support and justify the war of aggression, which violates international law, to be banned in this country - 47 percent completely agree with this demand, 21 percent rather. However, almost a quarter (23 percent) are against it. Rohleder described the ban on broadcasting Russia Today and other Russian media in the EU as an “overdue common signal”, but warned that the blocked content could find its way back to Europe via other domains.
“The authorities must be vigilant at all times and block new domains immediately. It is also important to strengthen the media literacy of people in Germany and Europe. Politics should also start here and ensure that the ability to critically examine sources is better taught.”
Bitkom Managing Director Dr. Bernhard Rohleder
Note on methodology:
The information is based on a survey that Bitkom Research conducted on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. In March 2022, 1,002 people in Germany aged 16 and over were surveyed by telephone. The survey is representative.
Also interesting: Smart online tool outsmarts censorship of President Putin's propaganda
Source: Bitkom
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