The Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT and Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD have joined forces with the Technical University of Darmstadt and Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences to minimize the risks associated with digitalization. At the National Research Center for Applied Cybersecurity ATHENE , Europe’s largest research institution of its kind, researchers are developing strategies to be able to react more quickly to new vulnerabilities and attacks in the future.

In 2019, the German federal government and the federal state of Hesse supported the project with €12.5 million, but are planning higher grants for the future: By 2026, the amount of funding provided is expected to increase to €37 million per year. Decisive action is urgently required: While many companies continue to underestimate cyber threats , the number of attacks continues to rise.