German Companies Ramp Up Cybersecurity Investments Amid Cyberresilience Gaps

Many German companies recognize significant shortcomings in their cyberresilience capabilities despite having formal strategies in place. According to a survey by Dell Technologies involving 100 IT leaders from large organizations, 59% of companies struggle to effectively limit damage or quickly restore systems during simulated or real cyberattacks. A key weakness lies in insufficient testing frequency; only 18% conduct simulated cyberattacks monthly or more often. Additionally, backup protection remains inadequate, with 50% not sufficiently securing their backup data even though 83% acknowledge ransomware targets backups deliberately. Utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for monitoring backup data is still limited — only 49% of companies use it — and just 45% maintain high transparency over suspicious activities in backup systems.

Survey participants also reveal a strong investment bias: 70% allocate more budget towards prevention than resilience and recovery strategies, which experts deem unbalanced. Christian Scharrer from Dell Technologies stresses the importance of mature resilience strategies regularly tested through simulations to minimize downtime, data loss, and financial damage.

Parallel to these findings, European firms, especially in Germany, are increasingly adopting AI strategically to enhance cybersecurity rather than focusing solely on rapid AI deployment or customer service improvements. Over a third of German executives plan to prioritize AI investments specifically for cybersecurity by 2026, ahead of automation and data analytics. Dr. Yusuf Erdogan, Country Lead Digital & Technology at Expleo Germany, notes this reflects growing AI maturity and emphasizes the need for securing AI comprehensively from technical, organizational, and regulatory perspectives to fully harness its potential.

The recent Expleo AI Pulse indicates a slight drop in AI enthusiasm in Germany, with the index falling to 63 points, yet remains optimistic about AI becoming an integral business technology. The challenge for companies now lies in balancing innovation with robust cybersecurity to avoid falling behind in competitive markets.

In summary, German companies are increasing cybersecurity investments, particularly in AI-driven security measures, but widespread gaps in cyberresilience—especially in backup protection and testing practices—remain significant. Industry experts urge more balanced investment between prevention and recovery to ensure comprehensive defense against evolving cyber threats.