Raising awareness of the danger of cybercrime

The number of cyberattacks on the German economy is increasing. In the past 12 months, 87% of companies have been affected by data theft, espionage or sabotage.

Those are the findings from the 2025 Economic Protection Study by the digital association Bitkom e.V. The damage caused now amounts to 289.2 billion euros – an increase of around 8% compared to the previous year.

“We motivate and train employees at Röhm so they can recognize suspicious e-mails and report every incident,” says IT Security Manager Onur Yildiz. “The sooner we act, the better we can avert damage. Every reported incident helps us to initiate targeted and rapid protective measures and to improve our security mechanisms in the long term.”

In addition to technical, procedural, and organizational measures, Onur Yildiz and his colleagues are focusing on raising awareness of this issue among the workforce. Every employee worldwide undergoes training once a year to help them recognize cyberattacks such as phishing so they can respond correctly. Employees at Röhm are frequently asked to report any suspicious e-mails immediately. And every employee regularly receives simulated phishing e-mails to make them more mindful of cybercrime.

These efforts are intended to raise awareness of what the German Federal Office for Information Security has called one of the top risks to the economy. In addition, the IT specialists at Röhm use the company’s annual Safety Days to provide information about data and IT security.

An unguarded handling of data, for example on social media, and the opportunities offered by the use of artificial intelligence exacerbate the situation. Phishing is often the entry point for attacks that endanger a company’s financial stability, disrupt operations, and ultimately put people and the environment at risk.