Overview
- Germany accounted for 3.3% of global cyberattacks in the first half of 2025, ranking fourth after the United States (24.8%), the United Kingdom (5.8%), and Israel (3.5%).
- About 80% of incidents involved data theft and more than half featured extortion or ransomware, while only roughly 4% were pure espionage.
- Identity intrusions rose by about 32%, with over 97% of identity attacks being password-based, and phishing-resistant MFA can block more than 99% of such attempts.
- State-linked activity intensified with Russia expanding operations against NATO countries, China focusing on espionage for competitive gain, Iran broadening campaigns including against shipping, and North Korea financing operations via remote IT workers and extortion.
- Hospitals and municipal administrations remained preferred targets, producing real-world impacts like delayed emergency care and school closures, as Microsoft urges securing AI tools and workforce training to counter AI-enabled threats.