It can happen to anyone! What sounds like the trailer to a thriller is simply a realization from media observation in recent months. Cyber attacks and data leaks are on the increase: ThyssenKrupp, the city of Potsdam, the University of Duisburg-Essen – these are just three examples of recent successful cyber attacks. For a long time now, crimina ls have not only been focusing on large corporations, but also on SMEs, public authorities and municipalities, as well as critical infrastructures (KRITIS).
In its annual report " The State of IT Security in Germany 2022 " published in October 2022, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) also concludes that, on the one hand, cyber extortion of high-revenue companies has increased, but on the other hand, less revenue-generating companies and municipalities can also increasingly become the target of ransomware attacks. Another finding in the report: SMEs in particular usually do not have the necessary personnel to adequately protect themselves and, in t he event of an emergency, often do not know where to turn for expert help.
This shows how important it is for organizations of all sizes to really get to grips with IT security now, to protect their systems and prepare for possible attacks. We created an overview of opportunities and challenges that are important in this context in 2023.