Alarm in Germany: Espionage, sabotage and cyberattacks cause €211 billion in damage

The German economy is increasingly threatened by espionage, sabotage and cyberattacks, the country’s authorities warn.

According to the latest study by Bitkom, the German IT industry association, losses caused by these activities amount to at least €211 billion. Around 1,000 company executives took part in the survey. Compared with a year earlier, when the damage was estimated at around €289 billion, the figure has declined.

Bitkom estimates that the actual scale of the damage may be significantly higher, as a large number of incidents go unreported. Foreign intelligence services are increasingly being identified among those behind the attacks. The share of companies suspecting that these services are involved has risen from 28% to 37%.

The study’s data show that companies associate China with 52% of the identified attacks, while Russia is linked to 49%. A considerable increase has also been observed in incidents suspected of originating in Iran.

Despite this, criminal groups remain the most common actors, being linked to around 62% of cases. At the same time, artificial intelligence is contributing to changes in the situation: attackers are using it to carry out operations more quickly, while companies aim to use it to strengthen their defenses.

Germany’s authorities are particularly concerned about the arms industry and research into drone technology. According to their warning, foreign state actors are increasingly relying on cybercriminal groups and individuals recruited within Germany to carry out acts of sabotage.