Cybercrime - NRW data protection report: more and more data breaches reported
In North Rhine-Westphalia, there are increasingly reported data breaches. "We have observed an increase in data loss reports, which indicates more cyber attacks," said Bettina Gayk, the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Commissioner of North Rhine-Westphalia, during the presentation of the new data protection report for the year 2023.
Accordingly, there were a total of 2,039 reports on so-called data breaches in the reporting year. This is 210 reports more than in 2022. "The question is not who it affects, but when it affects me. In principle, there is no 100% security against cyber attacks. Ultimately, it can affect anyone," said Gayk. On the criminal side, there is a high level of professionalization and a large number of victims in the shadows.
Limited scope of action
According to estimates, around 58 percent of German companies were affected by cyber attacks last year, including public institutions. If personal data leaked or were otherwise endangered in such an attack, this would be a matter for the authorities, explained the Data Protection Commissioner of North Rhine-Westphalia.
However, the scope of action is limited. "We receive these reports more and more often and can no longer do anything but watch: Have the affected people been given the necessary help? Are they all informed? And have we offered them assistance on what they can do if they suffer disadvantages as a result of this cyber attack?" explained Gayk.
Guide for companies
Therefore, advice is especially important for companies. "It is important for companies to have a well-prepared crisis management system in place above all, to quickly plug gaps and ensure that data is secured," said Gayk. Therefore, there is a guide from their authority on how to deal with such attacks from their authority.
In total, there were approximately 11,050 complaints about data protection in 2023. Since the Data Protection Basic Regulation came into force in 2016, this number of applications has been roughly stable, emphasized Gayk.
- The government in North Rhine-Westphalia is closely monitoring the rising number of reported data breaches, which are often linked to cyber attacks.
- In light of the increasing cybercrime activities, the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Commissioner of NRW highlighted the need for improved data protection measures, especially for companies.
- The Commissioner observed that there was a significant increase in data loss reports, with North Rhine-Westphalia experiencing 2,039 data breaches in 2023, up from 2,019 in 2022.
- In response to the growing threat of cyber attacks, the parliament in Düsseldorf is considering stricter regulations to protect personal data and strengthen the authorities' ability to combat cybercrime.
- Concerned about the potential impact of a data breach, many companies in North Rhine-Westphalia are seeking guidance from the regional Data Protection Commissioner on how to improve their data protection measures and crisis management systems.
