Businesses are and will remain an attractive target for criminal hackers. It is therefore not surprising that every third employee considers the risk of falling victim to a cyber attack to be high for their employer. This is shown by the current survey "Cyber Security in Figures" by G DATA CyberDefense.
The current survey by G DATA CyberDefense in cooperation with Statista shows how real the danger of cyber attacks on companies is. Every third respondent estimates the risk of their employer becoming the target of a cyber attack as high. In contrast, only 28 percent rate the risk as low. Hardly a day goes by without a current successful cyber attack on a company being reported.
Employees see large companies at risk
However, the risk assessment differs significantly depending on the size of the company. Only 20 percent of those surveyed from a company with fewer than 50 employees rate the risk of a cyber attack on their employer as high. For companies with more than 1.000 companies, more than 44 percent rate the risk of a cyber attack on their employer as high.
"Small companies are still under the misconception that they are not an attractive target for criminal hackers," says Tim Berghoff, Security Evangelist at G DATA CyberDefense. “The attackers determine whether an attack is worthwhile and brings profit. IT security is therefore not a question of company size. Even small and medium-sized companies have to invest in IT security and protect themselves against attacks. And better today than tomorrow.”
Employees can prevent cyber attacks
The study also shows that the risk assessment depends heavily on the IT security knowledge of the people interviewed and differs significantly. The proportion of respondents with very high IT security skills is 57 percent, who see a high risk of attack for their employer. In contrast, only 15,2 percent of those surveyed with little knowledge of IT security rate the risk of their employer being targeted by cybercriminals as high. It can be assumed that people with comprehensive IT security skills are better able to assess the dangers because they can better understand the interrelationships of IT security in the company. And thus also see the potential weak points. Therefore, companies should strengthen the IT security skills of their workforce. Because then the employees can identify these potential cyber threats at an early stage and prevent a successful attack.
Study "Cyber Security in Figures" for download
"Cybersecurity in numbers" is characterized by a high information density and particular methodological depth: More than 5.000 employees in Germany were questioned in a representative online study on cybersecurity in the professional and private context. The experts from Statista carried out the survey and, thanks to a sample size that is well above the industry standard, can present reliable and valid market research results in the “Cybersecurity in Numbers” booklet.
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About G Data With comprehensive cyber defense services, the inventor of the anti-virus enables companies to defend themselves against cybercrime. Over 500 employees ensure the digital security of companies and users. Made in Germany: With over 30 years of expertise in malware analysis, G DATA conducts research and software development exclusively in Germany. The highest standards of data protection are paramount. In 2011, G DATA issued a “no backdoor” guarantee with the “IT Security Made in Germany” seal of trust from TeleTrust eV. G DATA offers a portfolio from anti-virus and endpoint protection to penetration tests and incident response to forensic analyzes, security status checks and cyber awareness training to defend companies effectively. New technologies such as DeepRay use artificial intelligence to protect against malware. Service and support are part of the G DATA campus in Bochum. G DATA solutions are available in 90 countries and have received numerous awards.