The report, based on data from a survey of 1,300 member companies and universities, revealed that not only 73% of the large enterprises with 5,000+ employees surveyed had already fallen victim to cyber attacks, but also 37% of the participating small and innovative companies. Those affected increasingly perceive purchased products as posing the biggest threat: While last year 68% of respondents stated this, this year the figure has risen to 81%. Every second targeted company with up to 50 employees had been blackmailed, which could indicate competitors setting their sights on know-how. The survey found that internal employees, malware infections, and blackmailing through Trojans were the biggest security threats.

‘One man’s pain is another man’s gain’: As German Website gruenderszene.de reports, German IT security startups are booming. The number of such startups in the DACH region is estimated to have risen by more than 250% between 2014 and 2018.