Perception of online data security in Germany 2014-2020

Online security is as current a topic in Germany as in almost every country in the world. With more and more personal information being stored and accessible online, privacy and data protection laws are becoming increasingly important, with the pressing necessity of establishing more than just general guidelines. As is clear from this statistic, the majority of Germans are more than skeptical about the safety of their personal data on the internet.

Private users

Personal data being secure online is an issue affecting both private citizens and companies alike, across services and industries. The main concerns over using e-government websites, for example, were becoming a so-called transparent citizen with private data stored in one central database, as well as lack of security during data transmissions. Optimistically so, the number of phishing cases targeting online banking users has been dropping in recent years.

Companies

75 percent of companies in Germany were the victims of cyber attacks in 2019. Of these, the most common types were theft of IT and communication devices, as well as sensitive digital documents.