According to the current value-of-data study conducted by the market research institute Vanson Bourne, more than half of German companies fail to consistently classify or tag all the data they generate. Companies thus often lack an overview of their potentially business-critical data - a danger that cybercriminals are increasingly taking advantage of, as the lack of classification makes it difficult to ensure proper management and security.

Public cloud and mobile IT environments are particularly vulnerable: only 7% of companies consistently classify the relevant data. This often results in a lack of adequate data management, including important factors such as data security, data transparency and control, and compliance with official regulations. Existing data thus soon becomes an attractive target for ransomware attacks. The carelessness of many companies is all the more serious given the sharp increase in cyberattacks on German industry .