German Employees See Organized Cybercriminals as Biggest Threat Amid Rising Cyber Risks

A recent survey reported in "Cybersicherheit in Zahlen 2026/2027," published by G DATA in collaboration with Statista, reveals that 46% of German employees view organized cybercriminals as the most significant threat to their companies. This perception underscores employees' broad awareness of the varied cyber risks facing businesses today. Other cyber threat actors viewed as risks include hacktivists (14%), internal or close associates (13%), and state-sponsored groups (12%).

Although the survey reflects employee perceptions rather than actual cyberattack trends, it highlights concerns about the diversity of attackers that companies may face. This data comes amid growing cybersecurity challenges confronting German SMEs and larger enterprises.

In parallel, cybersecurity experts Michael Sjøberg and Peter Skovbo emphasize the critical importance of early crisis management in defending against cyberattacks, particularly ransomware. They warn that errors in the first hours of a cyber crisis can be extremely costly and advise companies to develop strategies to quickly regain control during such incidents. Their insights point to the need for proactive and effective crisis response plans to mitigate damage from sophisticated cyber threats.

Given these findings, German companies are urged to bolster both their understanding of threat actors and their crisis resilience to protect themselves from increasingly complex cyberattacks.