Skip next section Cybercrime costs in Germany hit record €202 billion May 12, 2026

Cybercrime costs in Germany hit record €202 billion

Cybercrime damage in Germany has surged to a new record, topping €202 billion ($236 billion), with the government planning a new “active cyberdefense” law.

Data from Bitkom business umbrella group and Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) showed losses rose by €24 billion last year, while recorded offenses edged up to about 334,000 cases in 2025.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told a press conference in Berlin that many attacks originated from Russia and that the threat remains high.

He said the goal of the new law was to "disrupt and destroy the attackers' infrastructure."

"This means ensuring that someone attacking us from a server system, for example, to attack an energy company in Germany from abroad will no longer be able to do so in future with that infrastructure, that server, that software or those facilities."

Nearly two-thirds of cases…