Foreign intelligence services increasingly targeting German firms with sabotage and data theft

German companies are experiencing a surge in cyberattacks and sabotage orchestrated by foreign intelligence services, a trend confirmed by Germany's domestic intelligence agency.

According to a report by the IT industry association Bitkom, 37% of companies that suffered sabotage, espionage, or data theft in the past year attributed these attacks to foreign intelligence agencies. This marks an increase from 28% in the previous year. The primary suspected sources of these attacks are Russia and China.

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China has previously focused primarily on industrial espionage, but is now increasingly focusing on 'the extraction of information in the political sphere'.

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) corroborates these findings, noting an heightened threat landscape. Security authorities observe increased espionage targeting critical infrastructure, including transportation and energy companies, with the defense industry being a particular focus.

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Russia, which has traditionally been involved in disinformation and sabotage, is increasingly trying to close capability gaps through espionage.

Bitkom President Ralf Wintergerst stated that the origin of these attacks increasingly points eastward. 52% of affected companies believe attacks originated from China, while 49% suspect Russia. The BfV highlights that distinguishing between criminal hackers and state-sponsored actors can be difficult, especially as some states, particularly Russia, utilize or permit the services of criminal groups.

While attacks from criminal gangs decreased slightly, the rise in state-sponsored cyber espionage poses a significant challenge for German businesses. The report indicates that 34% of companies experienced attacks from non-EU Eastern European countries, and 12% from within Germany.

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the trail leads further and further east