One question is more urgent today than ever before: How secure are critical infrastructures and production processes against cyberattacks? Tübingen-based SySS GmbH will demonstrate at HANNOVER MESSE 2026 why penetration tests are indispensable, especially for OT environments. Visitors can watch live as Fidelis Abt, Information Security Consultant at SySS GmbH, compromises a dam on stage—with all the corresponding devastating consequences for a nearby village. In addition, attendees will learn how quickly critical infrastructure can be affected by vulnerabilities and how attackers exploit them. The live hack will be moderated by Wotan Schromm, IT Security Consultant at SySS. Afterward, he will explain how SySS, as a partner, can identify vulnerabilities and support companies’ OT security with targeted security measures—before the dams break.

For visitors seeking a criminal thrill, the Tübingen-based company offers a very special experience. Anyone who wishes can try their hand at hacking an industrial control system at the SySS booth (Industrial Security Circus) by launching a password-guessing attack on the VPN and, if successful, open or close a dam gate.

In addition, SySS’s trade show presence offers a range of other opportunities: Consulting on all questions related to the security of OT environments, insights into security testing of critical infrastructure, production technology, and control systems, information on all other types of penetration testing and IT security consulting, as well as offerings in the areas of digital forensics and incident response, and the opportunity to discuss past live hacks within your own company.

SySS GmbH is a vendor-neutral IT security service provider and a leading provider of penetration testing in the DACH region. Since 1998, the company has been testing IT systems under realistic attack scenarios and identifying vulnerabilities before they become a problem. The approximately 170 employees at the locations in Tübingen, Frankfurt am Main, and Munich have extensive experience in penetration testing, red teaming, digital forensics, and incident response, and work according to a standardized quality assurance process. Technical consulting, threat intelligence, live hacking, and training round out the offerings. With this range of expertise, SySS supports companies of all sizes and across all industries in thoroughly assessing and sustainably strengthening their IT security.

Video