00:01This past April, hackers stole 750 gigabytes of sensitive data in an attack on German defense giant Rheinmetall.
00:09A group with suspected ties to Russia has claimed responsibility.
00:13The compromised files reportedly include technical details about tanks like the Puma, as well as engineering research data.
00:20Security experts are alarmed, warning that this information could be used to identify a tank's potential weak points.
00:27But Rheinmetall is not an isolated case.
00:30Nearly nine out of ten companies report being targeted in the past year by espionage, data theft or sabotage.
00:37Nearly a third of those attacks are attributed to a foreign intelligence service, primarily from Russia and China.
00:44Hostile intelligence agencies are increasingly targeting the German economy.
00:49Germany is a target. We need to be aware. We are being attacked here and now.
00:55Companies, research institutions and government are being targeted hundreds of times a day.
01:01But most cases involve attacks by organized crime.
01:04Hacker gangs aiming to make money through so-called ransomware attacks.
01:08The perpetrators encrypt critical company data and only release it once a ransom has been paid.
01:14Ransomware remains the biggest problem. Specialized malware designed for extortion combined with computer attacks on infrastructure, on server systems and on companies' internet platforms.
01:33These criminals typically demand ransoms between 100,000 and half a million euros.
01:39But according to a study by Digital Industry Association Bitcom, there's some good news.
01:45Companies are investing more in their cyber security, doubling the amount invested in security since 2022.
01:52All of them are
Comments