Data theft, paralyzed companies – cyberattacks have long become commonplace and threaten public safety. “The cybersecurity situation in Bavaria remains tense,” warned Bavaria’s Minister of Justice, Georg Eisenreich (CSU). According to the state government’s cybersecurity report, over 48,000 hacker attacks were reported in Bavaria last year. However, Bavaria’s Minister of the Interior, Joachim Herrmann (CSU), assumes the actual number is significantly higher, partly because many companies are insufficiently prepared. Minister of Justice Eisenreich called for greater vigilance and stated that it is necessary to ensure companies consistently keep their IT infrastructure up to date: “Information security must be a management task within the company, there must be support for this topic, and funds must be allocated.”
Use of AI: Hackers Becoming More Professional
The increasing professionalization of criminals and the use of artificial intelligence are causing growing concern for law enforcement agencies. Cybercriminals can use AI to develop sophisticated attacks with minimal effort. “In the worst case, this can even overcome robust technical security measures,” noted Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann.
A current TÜV study also shows that while over half of all attacks are already carried out using AI, only about ten percent of companies themselves use AI for defense. “This clearly shows that AI-supported attacks have already become the standard, while AI-based defense is somewhat lagging behind,” explained the head of the study, Marc Fliee.
Cybercrime: Not Only Financial but Also Political Motives
The perpetrators aim not only for financial gain but increasingly for political influence. “Sabotage, espionage, spreading uncertainty,” cautioned Justice Minister Eisenreich. Since the start of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, disinformation campaigns have become part of hybrid warfare, added Herrmann. “Pro-Russian actors are deliberately betting on manipulating public opinion and systematically undermining society’s trust in state institutions.”
Bavaria Blocks Around 390 Million Suspicious Emails Daily
In Bavaria, the State Office for Information Security works daily on the digital defense front. “The good news is that Bavaria and the Bavarian agency network have a strong protective shield in the form of the LSI, and our goal is essentially to always be one step ahead of the attackers,” stated Finance Minister Albert Füracker (CSU). There, approximately 2.7 billion data sets are checked daily for attack indicators, and around 390 million suspicious emails are blocked. Per month, 1.2 billion accesses to internet resources with potentially malicious content are blocked. Furthermore, the police have established a broad network of specialized commissariats to protect against cyberattacks. The so-called “rapid response teams” of the Bavarian police are also available to victims around the clock.
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