© weerapat1003 - fotolia.com

In today’s economy, production and services are increasingly based on digital networking. Data and information security are an important locational factor for the German economy. Simultaneously, the economy, the state and the population are faced with increasing unscrupulous cyber-crime. These include, among others, the infiltration of specific networks, targeted spying and the rapid proliferation or sale of sensitive data and information on potential vulnerabilities in companies.

Between 2013 and 2014, the number of cyberattacks reported has increased worldwide by 48 percent to 42.8 million. In addition, there is a huge number of unreported cases. Therefore, the continued, safe state-of-the-art networking remains a priority strategic task in society and industry. In our view, it is particularly important to understand data and information security in companies, organisations and public institutions as a strategic and worthwhile investment, which must be systematically conceived. Despite increasing cyberattacks, in the same period 2013 and 2014, the willingness of large corporations to provide greater financial resources for their security decreased. In addition, IT security research is needed that responds to the new challenges of digital networking and at the same time promotes the development and exploration of risk-based protection schemes. Traditional approaches to IT security from the perspective of computer terminals are no longer sufficient nowadays.

In this context, VdTÜV considers the investment in security and building up an integrated, compatible information security structure to strengthen trust and acceptance in the digital world to be crucially important.

VdTÜV has published more information on the topic of cyber security. These can be found below.