German Federal Criminal Police Office cybercrime situation report: Small successes, big problems
Key findings
- Increase in cybercrime: In 2024, 131,391 cybercrime cases were recorded in Germany. In addition, there were 201,877 so-called foreign crimes, in which the perpetrators operated from abroad or an unknown location.
- Economic damage: According to Bitkom e.V., the economic damage caused by cyberattacks amounted to €178.6 billion, which represents an increase over the previous year.
- Clearance rate: The clearance rate for domestic cybercrime offenses was 32%, well below the overall average of 58% in police crime statistics.
Threat situation and offender profiles
- Ransomware attacks: Every day, two to three serious ransomware attacks were reported to the police in Germany.
- DDoS attacks: There was an increase in DDoS campaigns, particularly by hacktivists and state actors, targeting critical infrastructure and political institutions.
- Motivation: The lines between financial and political motivation are becoming increasingly blurred.
Police measures and successes
- International cooperation: The German Federal Criminal Police Office emphasized the importance of internationally coordinated measures, such as Operation Endgame, to combat cybercriminals.
- Successful investigations: Despite the high threat level, the German Federal Criminal Police Office achieved numerous successful investigations against organized criminal structures.
Trends and developments
- Professionalization of perpetrators: Cybercriminals are increasingly working together and offering criminal services on an industrial scale.
- Problem of unreported cases: It is estimated that around 90% of cybercrime cases are not reported due to shame, fear of reputational damage, or attacks going unnoticed.
Further information
For detailed information and statistical data, we recommend taking a look at the complete PDF version of the German Federal Cybercrime Report 2024:
