According to a new report, Russian and Chinese intelligence services have intensified cyberattacks on German enterprises, causing significant losses to Germany’s economy. According to the digital technology protection group Bitkom, damage from data theft, industrial espionage and sabotage reached €289 billion ($342 billion), up 8% compared to last year, as reported by Yenisafak.
At a press conference in Berlin, Sinan Selen, Deputy Head of Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), stated that foreign intelligence services are increasingly attacking the German economy. He stressed that the country faces active cyberattacks and that Bitkom’s findings confirm intelligence assessments of the growing threats from Russia and China.
According to him, German companies attribute 28% of cyberattacks to foreign intelligence services, up 8% year-on-year. Meanwhile, 46% of affected enterprises link attacks specifically to Russia and China. Selen described these figures as extremely worrying.
Among other countries involved in cyberattacks against Germany, he also named Iran and North Korea. According to the BfV representative, foreign intelligence services are increasingly going beyond attacks solely on businesses and are targeting politicians, government agencies, scientific organizations and civil society. The aim is not only to collect information but also to influence internal processes, spread disinformation and, in some cases, prepare and carry out sabotage.
Selen noted that foreign intelligence agencies are operating ever more professionally and aggressively, infiltrating networks covertly and for extended periods so their activities go unnoticed. He emphasized that the threat spectrum is extremely broad: from subversive actions and disinformation campaigns to classic espionage in political, economic and scientific spheres, as well as attacks on infrastructure and enterprises.
