Summary
This whitepaper presents findings from a survey conducted among 300 IT and cybersecurity leaders in Germany, focusing on their experiences with ransomware attacks over the past year. The survey was carried out by a third-party specialist between January and March 2025 and is part of a larger study involving 3,400 respondents. Key findings indicate a significant decrease in both ransom demands and payments compared to the previous year, with the median ransom demand dropping to $600,000. The report also highlights the primary technical and operational reasons for ransomware incidents, including exploited vulnerabilities and a lack of resources. Additionally, it discusses the impact of ransomware on organizations, revealing that 51% of attacks resulted in data encryption, while 95% of affected organizations managed to recover their data. The document concludes with recommendations for improving defenses against ransomware, emphasizing prevention, protection, detection, and planning.
