Cybersecurity: Safeguarding the Digital World
Published on 28 August 2025
We all rely on cybersecurity: Protecting IT infrastructure is fundamental and has long been a critical priority. Rapid technological progress and an increasingly unstable global political situation are creating new opportunities for cybercriminals. Cybersecurity is therefore far more than a technical necessity – it forms the foundation that enables our society to operate with confidence in the digital world.
Cyber threats are now among the greatest risks to governments, the economy, and society. Both the scale and sophistication of attacks continue to grow. Ransomware attacks, targeted cyberattacks on critical infrastructures (KRITIS) and further companies relevant to the economy and the state, as well as professionally organised cybercrime, present enormous challenges for public authorities and private businesses. In an increasingly connected world, maintaining security and resilience requires a clear understanding of the principles, applications and importance of cybersecurity. With the Bundesdruckerei’s comprehensive overview of key concepts current developments, and legal requirements aims to provide guidance in navigating this complex and fast-evolving field.
What is cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity covers all technical, organisational, and human measures to protect networked systems, data, and communication channels from digital attack. Effective measures to ensure cybersecurity are not only about preventing unauthorised access. They also ensure the integrity of data, protects confidentiality and keeps information reliably available when needed.
It is important to distinguish between the terms ‘information security’ and ‘IT security’: Information security covers all measures to protect information – regardless of whether it is digital or physical. IT security focuses on protecting technical infrastructure, such as hardware or software.
Cybersecurity, in contrast, is concerned with digital processes and systems. This includes all interconnected digital, organisational, and human security measures and components operating in combination – for example, networked computers, online services, databases, and smart devices in the Internet of Things (IoT). As systems become more complex and interconnected, cybersecurity has become a critical issue for businesses, public authorities, and individuals alike.
The Basics of Cybersecurity: Applications and Significance
The relevance of cybersecurity today extends to virtually all areas of life. Key sectors of societal importance include:
Public administration: Government bodies at national, regional and local level manage citizens' data and operate critical infrastructure. Protecting this highly sensitive information is therefore vital in order to maintain citizens' trust, ensure public safety, and guarantee the continuity of essential services.
Healthcare: As health data and medical devices become increasingly digital, the importance of cybersecurity in the healthcare sector is growing. In this context, security vulnerabilities can result not only in data breaches but, in the worst case, put human lives at risk.
Business and the economy: Companies must protect their intellectual property as well as their trade secrets, customer data, and digital processes from cyberattacks such as ransomware. A successful cyberattack can cause existential financial damage and permanently undermine customer trust.
Digital Sovereignty – a Key Component of Cybersecurity
One important aspect of cybersecurity is digital sovereignty. It describes the ability to act autonomously in the digital space and to make independent decisions. The term encompasses both technological independence from individual providers or technologies and maintaining control over one’s own data and digital processes. For states and organisations, it also means mastering the technologies they require to operate independently of foreign IT companies.
Digital sovereignty and cybersecurity are closely interdependent. Without strong cybersecurity, neither states nor organisations can effectively protect their data, infrastructures or interests. Conversely, digital sovereignty creates the framework conditions needed to ensure effective cybersecurity and strengthen digital self-determination. For Germany – and for Bundesdruckerei as a federal technology company – the two concepts are inseparable and must be addressed together to ensure a secure and sovereign digital future.
As a federal technology company, the Bundesdruckerei Group helps ensure that Germany can make and implement its own decisions during digital transformation. It offers cybersecurity solutions ‘Made in Germany’, operating independently of foreign states, companies, and investors. In doing so, it meets all the requirements of German and European cybersecurity legislation.
Current Challenges and Threats to Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is more important today than ever before, as the threat landscape in cyberspace has become significantly more acute in recent years – most recently due to the geopolitical situation. In addition, new technologies bring new risks, while criminals are also continuously developing their methods. The financial damage caused by cybercrime is enormous: In 2024 alone, ransomware was used to extort over 1.1 billion US dollars in ransom payments worldwide.
The importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of cybersecurity is also growing steadily. What is special about this is that AI plays an ambivalent role here. On the one hand, it enables increasingly sophisticated attacks with serious consequences, but on the other hand, it offers new opportunities for defence. This is because AI-based security systems can detect anomalies at an early stage, identify attack patterns and initiate automated countermeasures. One example of this is an AI-supported secure email gateway for protection against email-based attacks, such as the genumail solution from genua GmbH, a company belonging to the Bundesdruckerei Group.
While artificial intelligence presents both opportunities and risks, there are countless additional cyber threats that target individuals, companies and government institutions and continuously put existing cybersecurity architectures and solutions to the test:
Cybersecurity Threats from Ransomware and Malware
The Human Factor: Social Engineering
The Human Factor: Social Engineering
Cybersecurity Threats from Ransomware and Malware
Malware is a generic term that encompasses a wide range of different types of malicious software, including viruses, trojans, worms, and ransomware. Ransomware is designed to encrypt data and then to demand payment for its decryption. Malware attacks are typically aimed at financial extortion, data theft, or sabotage, for example by stealing passwords, tampering with systems, or operating covertly in the background to harvest sensitive information.
Organisations operating critical infrastructure (KRITIS) are particularly vulnerable to ransomware attacks. In 2024, Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) received 726 reports of disruptions due to cyberattacks that caused or could have caused outages or significant impairment of KRITIS functionality. The previous year, there were 490 such reports.
The Human Factor: Social Engineering
Social engineering refers to attempts to manipulate people into disclosing confidential information or performing actions that compromise digital cybersecurity. Attackers use this approach to steal data, gain access to protected systems or sabotage operations. Victims may be tricked into revealing sensitive details, bypassing security measures or installing malicious software on personal devices or company systems.
Phishing is a well-known form of social engineering. In such cases, criminals pose as trustworthy individuals or institutions to obtain sensitive information such as passwords or credit card details. Attack methods are diverse and range from fake emails to manipulated websites. Another classic example is the spoofed message from a supposed company director urgently requesting a transfer of funds from the corporate account.
Attacks using Quantum Computers
Quantum computers process information using ‘qubits’. Unlike classical bits, which can only be 0 or 1, qubits can also exist in superpositions of states.This allows quantum computers to solve certain complex problems far more quickly than traditional machines. But this capability also presents risks for cybersecurity: in the future, quantum computers will be able to break encryption algorithms that are considered secure today.
The threat is already real and must be taken very seriously. Data encrypted with currently trusted methods may be intercepted now and decrypted later, once sufficient quantum technology is available.
Protecting against such risks is the focus of post-quantum cryptography, a field of research that is gaining increasing importance and one in which the Bundesdruckerei Group has been active for many years. The scientific community, businesses, and government institutions are already working intensively on developing encryption and signature methods that can withstand the enormous computational power of quantum computers, thus preventing potential threat scenarios from arising in the first place.
As research into quantum-resistant encryption methods advances, the legal framework for cybersecurity is also evolving. Legislation sets out binding requirements and supports organisations in implementing effective protective measures.
In addition, the BSI develops concrete recommendations on how to address the challenges posed by quantum computing.
Legal Foundations of Cybersecurity
The legal framework for cybersecurity provides the basis for binding security standards and measures. At EU level, the most relevant instruments for businesses are the Cyber Resilience Act and the NIS 2 Directive.
- The Cyber Resilience Act requires manufacturers of connected products to implement cybersecurity measures throughout the entire product lifecycle. This includes the introduction of a risk management system, regular mandatory updates and the remediation of vulnerabilities. The objective is to improve product security with digital elements and thus strengthen consumer trust. Initial requirements will apply from June 2026, with full implementation due by December 2027.
- In force since January 2023, the NIS 2 Directive (Network and Information Security) expands the scope of the original NIS Directive and raises the bar for cybersecurity requirements in critical infrastructure sectors. Once transposed into national law, it will require companies and organisations in key sectors to implement comprehensive security measures and to report significant incidents. Critical infrastructure includes sectors such as energy supply, healthcare finance, transport traffic water supply and food supply.
- Another important regulation is the Critical Entities Resilience Directive (CER). The EU directive adopted in 2022 aims to strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure across Europe. It requires risk assessments, security measures, and incident reporting obligations for events that could jeopardize the operations of these entities. Unlike the NIS 2 Directive, which focuses specifically on cybersecurity, CER also covers physical security and general resilience.
- A German KRITIS umbrella law will implement the European requirements at the national level and extend the protection of critical infrastructure. For the first time, this law will establish a cross-sector federal framework for the physical protection of critical infrastructure in Germany.
- At the national level, there is also the German IT Security Act. Enacted in 2015 and amended several times, it obliges operators of critical infrastructure and digital services to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect their IT systems.
To ensure that measures are effective and properly integrated, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) recommends the introduction of an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
Strategies and Measures for Implementing Cybersecurity
When it comes to cybersecurity, one principle always applies: prevention is cheaper than reaction. Recovering systems after a cyberattack, dealing with legal consequences or repairing reputational damage usually costs far more than investing in protective measures. These measures need to be part of a carefully coordinated strategy.
An effective cybersecurity strategy always requires a two-step approach: protecting both the network itself and the data it contains. To put concrete measures in place, organisations also need a sound understanding of the principles of cybersecurity and cyber resilience, alongside the implementation of an Information Security Management System (ISMS).
The organisational and technical measures it encompasses include, among others:
- Risk analysis and management
The first step is to lay the foundation for targeted protective measures by systematically identifying and assessing potential threats and vulnerabilities specific to the organisation. This is done, for example, as part of an IT security audit. - Technical protective measures
These include firewalls and gateways, secure VPN solutions, attack detection systems (instead of intrusion detection systems), data diodes, secure remote maintenance, as well as encryption and authentication technologies. - Organisational measures
Examples include security policies and access controls. Policies define binding standards and processes for handling IT systems and sensitive data. Access controls ensure that only authorised individuals can use certain resources, for instance through access control concepts. Incident response processes and contingency plans can also stipulate how to react in the event of a cyberattack to minimise damage and restore normal operations as quickly as possible. - Awareness and training
Since people are often the weakest link in the security chain, regular training and awareness measures are essential. The specific requirements for cybersecurity vary depending on the industry.
With the DORA Regulation, the European Union has created a uniform framework to strengthen the digital resilience of companies in the financial sector. The regulation addresses both financial institutions and their critical ICT service providers. As EU law that applies directly, DORA differs fundamentally from the NIS 2 Directive, which must first be transposed into national legislation. Due to its sector-specific nature, DORA takes precedence over NIS 2, which is why the banking sector is explicitly excluded from the scope of NIS 2.
Industry, meanwhile, faces different priorities: companies must protect their production facilities and thus their intellectual property. These sectoral differences call for tailored security concepts that take into account both the regulatory environment and the specific threat scenarios of each industry.
Cybersecurity Strategies for Businesses
Cyberattacks threaten sensitive data, trade secrets, and the operational capability of companies. To ensure cybersecurity, both technological and organisational aspects must be considered and formulated within a cybersecurity strategy.
Cybersecurity Strategies in Healthcare
Healthcare institutions constitute an infrastructure in which cyberattacks can directly endanger human lives, for example, if treatments are delayed or medical devices are tampered with. The ongoing digitisation of patient records and connected medical devices, continually expands the potential attack surface. In this context, the telematics infrastructure plays a central role as a secure network for Germany’s healthcare system. It connects doctors’ surgeries, hospitals, pharmacies, and health insurers, enabling the exchange of health data.
Cybersecurity Strategies in Public Administration
Public administrations handle sensitive citizen data and operate critical infrastructure. To meet these challenges, authorities need a comprehensive security concept that encompasses technical, organisational, and personnel measures. A key element is the introduction of secure authentication methods with multi-factor verification processes and digital identities for employees. Data encryption and granular access controls provide additional protection mechanisms. The Bundesdruckerei Group offers cybersecurity solutions specifically tailored to the needs of public authorities, promoting both the security and efficiency of digital administrative processes. These include applications for secure digital identities for government employees and BSI-compliant solutions for handling classified information at the VS-NfD level (‘for official use only’).
Concepts for Protecting Against Cyberattacks
The increasing complexity and pace of digital threats demand reliable and innovative approaches to effectively ensure cybersecurity. This involves not only protecting existing systems, but also establishing security awareness and developing future-oriented strategies to meet growing requirements. These four concepts make a significant contribution to sustainably securing digital infrastructures and data:
Achieving Cybersecurity with Zero Trust
The Zero Trust model is based on the principle of ‘Never trust, always verify’. It assumes that threats can originate from both outside and inside an organisation, and that every access to resources must be strictly controlled. This concept includes:
- Continuous authentication and authorisation.
- Microsegmentation of networks. This refers to the division of a network into many small, isolated segments. Each segment has its own security rules that precisely define what type of traffic is permitted. This prevents attackers who have penetrated part of the network from moving freely throughout the entire system.
- Principle of least privilege (PoLP). It states that users should only be granted the access rights and permissions that are absolutely necessary to perform their tasks. The consequence: Compromised users, due to restricted rights, can only cause damage within a specific area.
- Comprehensive monitoring and logging.
A practical example: Telematics Infrastructure 2.0 will implement the Zero Trust principle – for example, by requiring authentication and authorisation for every access to health data, regardless of whether access occurs from inside or outside the network.
Identity management as the key to security
Effective identity management is also crucial for cybersecurity: It ensures that only authorised individuals have access to sensitive data and systems. Secure digital identities form the foundation for trustworthy digital interactions, as they enable the unique identification of users in the digital space and thus prevent identity fraud. Modern solutions such as the European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) give users more control over their digital identity. Closely linked to this are electronic certificates and the trust services defined under the eIDAS Regulation. Personal certificates are used to clearly confirm identities in email communication or when accessing networks. TLS-SSL website certificates verify who is behind a website. Machine certificates, in turn, authenticate devices and thus play a key role in establishing trust in the Internet of Things (IoT) and in Industry 4.0 applications.
D-Trust GmbH, a company of the Bundesdruckerei Group, is a leading provider of secure identity solutions and thus makes a significant contribution to strengthening cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity with secure cloud solutions
Cloud computing offers numerous advantages but also entails specific risks. Secure cloud solutions combine technical safeguards with contractual regulations and compliance requirements. Several key components are essential for robust cloud security: Strong data encryption, both in transit and at rest, preventing unauthorised access even in the event of successful attacks. Modern authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication and role-based access controls ensure that only authorised users can access sensitive data. Particularly important is the physical security of the data centres where the cloud infrastructure is operated. Here, factors such as location selection, access restrictions, and emergency plans play a central role. Clear contractual agreements between cloud providers and customers, which define cybersecurity obligations and outline protective measures, including what happens at the end of a service contract.
Quantum Computing and Quantum-Resistant Cryptography for Cybersecurity
The development of quantum computers shows that conventional cryptographic methods will no longer be sufficient in the long term to protect digital systems and data against cyberattacks. Quantum computers represent a cyber threat because they could potentially crack many of the encryption methods used today in a very short time. Tasks that would take classical computers millions of years could be completed by quantum computers in just hours or days. This threatens the confidentiality of sensitive data—from government information and financial transactions to personal identities.
At the same time, quantum technology offers great opportunities. Quantum computers could accelerate the analysis of vast data sets, making it possible to detect cyberattacks in real time and enabling proactive countermeasures. It also opens up new ways of simulating complex security scenarios, allowing organisations to test and refine their defences more effectively.
Central to this future is quantum-resistant cryptography. Its encryption methods are specifically designed to withstand the computational power of quantum computers. Quantum-resistant cryptography is crucial to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive data in the era of quantum computers. This is particularly important for critical infrastructures such as financial systems and government institutions, as well as personal data in official ID documents. Work is already underway to develop and standardise these new methods so that companies and organisations can prepare in time for the challenges of the quantum era. Cybercriminals, however, are following a ‘store now, decrypt later’ approach – collecting encrypted data today with the intention of breaking it once quantum technology becomes available. Therefore, the best protection is to adopt post-quantum encryption methods now. The Bundesdruckerei Group is actively engaged in researching and developing of quantum-resistant cryptography. Though innovative projects and technologies, it is working to harness the potential of quantum effects to create new security solutions that will remain effective even in a world of powerful quantum computers.
How the Bundesdruckerei Group Supports Cybersecurity
The Bundesdruckerei Group supports public institutions and companies in strengthening their cybersecurity, thereby making a significant contribution to digital sovereignty in Germany. With a comprehensive portfolio, it offers solutions for secure infrastructures as well as secure identities and data. In the area of secure infrastructures, examples include firewalls and gateways, VPNs, remote maintenance solutions and industrial IT security.
A particular role is played by the Bundesdruckerei subsidiary genua: This IT security company provides BSI-approved firewalls, a bundled solution for VS-NfD-compliant workplaces, and robust network protection for public authorities and industries subject to classified information requirements – all meeting the highest security standards and ‘Made in Germany’. Its portfolio is complemented by BSI-certified information and cybersecurity consultants who provide specialist advice. More recently, genua has also supplied VS-NfD-certified products for the digitally sovereign IONOS Cloud. The IONOS Cloud is distinguished by its GDPR-compliant, highly available infrastructure operated in German data centres. It is therefore particularly suitable for security-critical IT applications in public authorities and companies.
The Bundesdruckerei Group’s latest subsidiary, Xecuro, also serves the goal of digital sovereignty. The company enables highly secure classified communications within public administration at both federal and state levels. It is responsible for building, operating and further developing the neccessary infrastructure.
D-Trust complements the Group’s cybersecurity portfolio with digital certificates, eID-based identification procedures, and trust services. Its encryption technologies and smartcards help secure digital processes and build trust in technology.
As a federal technology company, the Bundesdruckerei Group is strongly networked. It consistently complies with all requirements of German and European cybersecurity legislation and combines innovative products with expert consulting and forward-looking research. Even in areas such as post-quantum cryptography, the Bundesdruckerei Group is already implementing solutions today – so that its customers are equipped to face the threats of tomorrow.
Cybersecurity as a Shared Responsibility in a Connected World
Cybersecurity is one of the greatest challenges of our time. It demands constant attention and investment to meet and counteract cyber threats in the digital space. Emerging technologies such as AI, quantum computing, and the growing use of cloud services bring both opportunities and challenges – and will require ever-new measures to ensure effective cybersecurity in the future.
However, protecting our digital infrastructure cannot be achieved by technical solutions alone – it requires coordinated action at all levels. Businesses, public institutions and individuals must all assume responsibility and recognise the importance of cybersecurity. This means not only implementing technical protective measures, but also fostering a culture of security in which every individual plays their part. Regular training, open communication about security incidents, and a willingness to learn from mistakes are essential factors in this context. Each individual should aim to develop a sense of security awareness in the digital space.
Close cooperation at national and international levels is also vital. Governments, security authorities, and the private sector must work together to develop and enforce common standards so that cross-border cyberattacks can be effectively countered and a secure digital environment can be maintained for all.
Only joint action will strengthen the resilience of our interconnected world and maintain trust in digital technologies.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cybersecurity
What is cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity includes all measures that protect digital systems, networks, and data from unauthorised access, manipulation or destruction. Its aim is to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information.
How does cybersecurity differ from IT security?
IT security focuses on protecting hardware and software, whereas cybersecurity has a broader focus on digital processes and systems. Cybersecurity can be considered a subset of the wider concept of information security.
Who is cybersecurity important for?
Cybersecurity is relevant for anyone who uses digital technologies – from private individuals and businesses to government agencies. It is especially critical for operators of critical infrastructures and organisations processing sensitive data.
What legal requirements apply to cybersecurity in Germany?
In Germany, the Act to increase the security of information technology systems (IT Security Act 2.0) and the NIS-2 Implementation Act are particularly relevant. Operators of critical infrastructure must also comply with the KRITIS regulation and the cross-sector KRITIS umbrella law set out in the coalition agreement. At EU level, the Cyber Resilience Act, adopted in 2024, applies to all products with digital elements placed on the European single market.
