Even before the Covid 19 pandemic, there was hardly an area of life in Germany that was not directly or indirectly dependent on the use of the Internet. The pandemic acted as a kick-starter for digitization: “Zoom calls” in the home office, supermarket shopping via app, a virtual visit to a museum and the use of online banking were the exception rather than the rule just a few years ago. Now they represent the new normal.
According to Statista, in 2014, 59 percent of all Germans still said they used their smartphone for media consumption. In 2021, the figure was 95 percent. This meant that the cell phone took first place. Globally, 4.62 billion people were using social media online in January 2022; in 2012, the number was around 1.48 billion. And to tie in with the “Zoom” software mentioned, 1.8 billion people visited the site in January 2022 (an increase of 400 million from the previous month).
INTERNET OF THINGS
Of course, this networking not only relates to private users, but also affects all governmental as well as economic actors. German companies in particular, which are heavily dependent on exports, benefit from global networking in real time. In this context, almost 40 percent of all companies with at least ten employees in Germany used networked systems in the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) in 2021. The IoT can describe a range of devices: a printer, fire alarm or industrial machine, which are equipped with sensors, software or other technologies to exchange data with other devices.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
This development is further accelerated by the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI). Self-learning algorithms can improve the use of digital applications and literally make them more “intelligent” by analysing existing data. Predictions can become more precise and serve as elementary control and decision-making elements in a wide range of areas – in IoT to controlling traffic and the defense sector, to name just a few examples.
MORE NETWORKING, MORE PROBLEMS
This intensive networking on and with the Internet harbors risks. Ensuring data protection is a particular challenge. Not only in the question of who is allowed to use data and how (data is not called the “oil of the 21st century” for nothing) – but also in ensuring its protection. Because cybercriminals exploit every vulnerability. The industry association Bitkom published figures at the end of 2021 showing that almost 80% of 1,000 people surveyed had been affected by criminal attacks on the net in the past year. According to the study, just under half of those surveyed had malware infected on their devices and 40% said their personal data had been passed on without being asked. Fraud during online purchases and online banking played other important roles.
PROTECTION BY EU GOVERNMENTS NOT SUFFICIENT
An EU-wide survey conducted by the Munich Security Conference in 2021 illustrates the impact of these findings. According to the survey, most Europeans do not feel sufficiently protected by their governments in the digital space and fear that their personal data is not safe online. In its latest report, “Situation of IT Security in Germany” from 2021, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) showed how high the current threat level is.
RANSOMWARE
Not only has the number of different malware programs increased drastically over the past year (peaking at 553,000 new variants per day – according to the BSI, the highest value ever measured). In addition, the quality of attacks has also improved, especially in the area of so-called “ransomware” – extortions by temporarily blocking entire computer systems, for example. Ransomware is a particularly lucrative business for organized crime actors. Targeted attacks on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) form a large part of the business model. Overall – according to a recent study by Bitkom – almost 90 percent of all companies in Germany fell victim to cyber attacks last year. The total damage amounts to more than 200 billion euros per year.
CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AS A GATEWAY
However, cyber attacks on companies can lead to more than just monetary damage. They can also have an impact on Germany’s “critical infrastructure” and thus take on security policy dimension. This “backbone” of systemically important companies includes nine sectors, including energy, healthcare, finance and insurance, and transportation, among others. If they are attacked, repercussions for society as a whole can quickly be felt. The BSI report cited above provides a drastic example: Due to a ransomware attack, in 2021 a large hospital was unable to admit new patients for 13 days. An attack from cyberspace can thus lead directly to the death of people. This could also be applied to other fields of critical infrastructure.
CYBER ATTACKS AS A WEAPON OF WAR
In times of global geopolitical conflict, this highlights the particular explosive nature of Germany’s worldwide network. At a low-threshold level, states can attempt to digitally infiltrate critical infrastructures, for example, in order to gain access to knowledge. In an emergency, however, cyberattacks can also become an active weapon of war that focuses specifically on the enemy’s “soft” targets. In the run-up to the invasion of Ukraine, Russia deliberately sought to disable critical infrastructures in the country, e.g., the financial sector or important systems in the Ministry of Defense.
AI AS A GAMECHANGER?
In addition, the use of AI in weapons systems-both physical and digital-may necessitate new, additional complexity in defense. This is because, for example, the ability of future AI to evaluate new information and make split-second decisions raises the question of what an adequate response must look like. At the same time, it is to be hoped that AI can become a “gamechanger” in the defense against both cyberattacks and criminal activities on the Internet through the rapid evaluation of data.
Text Julian Voje