Cyberattacks drain $238B from German economy

Cyberattacks cost the German economy an estimated €202 billion ($238 billion) in 2025, authorities announced Tuesday, as officials warned of a growing wave of sophisticated, AI-driven crimes launched from abroad.

Presenting the government’s annual cybercrime report, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said police registered nearly 334,000 incidents last year. According to the report, two-thirds of the perpetrators operated from outside Germany or from untraceable locations.

“Cybercriminals attack Germany every day—targeting our businesses, our government agencies, and our infrastructure,” Dobrindt told reporters in Berlin. “The state cannot be a bystander in the digital realm. We will ensure our investigators are on equal footing with perpetrators, both technically and legally, and are able to strike back,” he said.

The report found that AI-driven tools are now a core part of cybercrime, enabling attackers to work faster, choose victims more precisely, and hide their online traces more effectively.

Investigators recorded 1,041 major ransomware incidents in 2025, marking a 10% increase from the previous year. Public institutions and businesses were among the hardest hit. Average ransom demands climbed, and the total amount paid in ransoms was about $15.5 million.