It has been a well-known fact for a long time now that threats from criminal network attacks are on the up. According to the report , 85% of all SMEs in Germany now face the threat of cyberattack. In around one in five of these SMEs, cyberattacks have inflicted noticeable to massive damage. The consultants therefore recommend that cyberspace security measures be integrated more systematically in risk management, particularly as requirements continue to increase. However, just 28% of the several hundred companies surveyed stated that they had been investigating more closely the fact that the networking of production processes over 5G will entail changes for their cybersecurity strategy. Deloitte stresses, however, that it is vital that security strategies keep pace with increasing industrial digitalization.

The results on potential threats are largely consistent with the findings of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI ), which says that the risk “remains high” and that the situation has become even worse and more complex.