80 Percent of cyberattacks target SMEs: insurers call for stronger prevention
The German Insurance Association (GDV) is warning of the growing threat posed by professional cybercriminals and calling for stronger preventive measures. In particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often overestimate their level of cybersecurity.
Figures from Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) paint a stark picture: Germany is a prime target for cybercriminals. For years, public attention focused primarily on high-profile cyberattacks against hospitals and government agencies, which came to epitomise the threat posed by cybercrime. But the threat landscape has shifted. Rather than being defined by isolated, headline-grabbing incidents, cybercrime is increasingly characterised by a quieter, faster-moving and more industrialised pattern of attacks.
Around 280,000 new malware variants are now emerging every day. The increase in malware targeting conventional Windows systems is particularly striking. Insurers have a strong interest in strengthening the economy’s resilience to cyber risks. They see their role as extending beyond covering financial losses to raising awareness and promoting prevention.
Businesses overestimate their cybersecurity
Germany is a major target of state-sponsored cyberattacks and ranks among the countries most frequently targeted worldwide. Around a quarter of all active advanced persistent threat (APT) groups globally target German organisations at least some of the time. APTs are highly sophisticated, sustained cyberattacks typically carried out by state-sponsored or state-affiliated actors.
Germany ranks fourth globally in this respect, behind the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel. Attacks on political institutions and critical infrastructure are particularly concerning. Recent incidents have included breaches of political party systems and an attack on the administrative IT infrastructure of German air traffic control.
While such incidents attract considerable public attention, the greatest concentration of attacks lies elsewhere. Around 80 percent of recorded ransomware attacks target small and medium-sized enterprises. The BSI officially recorded approximately 950 cases between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, although the actual number is likely to be significantly higher.
Cybercriminals follow a clear strategy: they target organisations with limited resilience and relatively weak security defences. According to the BSI's 2025 cybersecurity situation report, SMEs meet only slightly more than half of basic IT security requirements on average, while many overestimate their own level of protection.
At the same time, cybersecurity awareness in day-to-day business operations is declining. According to the BSI, employees use fewer than four security measures on average. Even fundamental safeguards, such as regular software updates, multi-factor authentication and systematic password management, are frequently neglected.
Prevention makes a difference
Combining proactive prevention with insurance coverage can significantly reduce both the risk of a cyberattack and its financial consequences. Insurers therefore require their customers to meet certain cybersecurity standards and support businesses in implementing appropriate protective measures.
Recent GDV figures demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach: Only around three percent of insured businesses experience a loss resulting from a cyberattack each year.
Raising cybersecurity standards across the wider business community would also strengthen the resilience of Germany as a business location to cyber risks.