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Cyberattacks on town halls and district offices are no longer the exception. How do municipalities protect themselves against them? And what role does the human factor play? Petra Stibane is the Information Security Officer (ISO) of the district town of Eberswalde in Brandenburg. In this interview, she talks about the cyber risks currently facing public authorities and why her administration introduced security awareness training. Petra, please introduce yourself briefly.

After an OpenAI model spent several days attempting to wreak havoc on another AI company’s safeguards, Anthropic also had to admit that it had temporarily lost control of the situation. It has not even been two weeks since reports began circulating that an OpenAI AI model had slipped out of the company’s control. For several days, it had attempted to break through the safeguards of another AI company. Now Anthropic has also had to acknowledge a similar incident.

The "EMPOWER-TRANS*" platform offers children and adolescents with gender dysphoria, as well as their families, the opportunity to seek information, support, and advice from qualified medical professionals. Like any other platform that handles patient data, this one also deals with data that requires special protection. Before the platform’s official launch, a penetration test revealed some concerning findings.

Artificial intelligence has long been part of everyday life in many companies. This is also true at G DATA CyberDefense. Employees use AI tools for emails, presentations, or research. At the same time, like other companies, we face the challenge of protecting critical data and complying with regulatory requirements. How can innovation, compliance, and data protection be reconciled with one another? I spoke about this with Dr. Matthias Zuchowski, regulatory expert at G DATA CyberDefense.

Fraudulent calls can be unsettling and often aim to obtain sensitive data. That’s why we explain how to reliably recognize signs of a scam, respond correctly in an emergency, and protect yourself effectively. Phishing attacks can occur through various channels: an email, an unexpected SMS, or a sudden phone call allegedly from your bank, a well-known company, or even a government authority. In all cases, a sense of urgency is created.

Data protection has long been more than just a legal obligation. In the age of AI, cloud technologies, and increasingly strict regulatory requirements, it is becoming a decisive success factor for companies.

Specialist retailers and resellers are increasingly acting as IT security service providers and strategic partners for businesses. G DATA CyberDefense has therefore completely overhauled its partner programme. In future, it will reward not only turnover but also commitment. In this interview, Nikolas Schran, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at G DATA, discusses the key features of the new model, how MSPs will benefit from it, and ‘cyber trust’ within the channel.

Criminals are currently exploiting security vulnerabilities found in, among other devices, older D-Link and Linksys routers. They are using these flaws to infect individual routers with malware called "AryStinger," turning them into part of a criminal infrastructure. This infrastructure is used both for espionage within local networks and for numerous other illegal activities.

According to a recent G DATA survey, nine out of ten vacationers use their tablet or smartphone while traveling. If company-issued devices or personal devices used for work are involved, QR codes and Bluetooth connections can pose a security risk to companies. Die Abwesenheitsnotiz ist aktiviert, der Koffer gepackt und die Vorfreude auf die Reise groß. Ein wichtiger Reisebegleiter fehlt bei den wenigsten Urlaubern: das Smartphone.

Many companies invest in security awareness training—yet participation often falls short of expectations. Why is that? And what actually works in practice? This article shows how organizations can specifically foster motivation, which measures have proven effective, and how security awareness can be sustainably embedded into employees’ daily work. Cyberattacks no longer primarily target systems, but people. Using social engineering and phishing, criminals deliberately exploit human behavior patterns.