{"id":8383,"date":"2022-11-10T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.securitytoday.de\/2026\/04\/02\/post_id-3640\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T19:06:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T19:06:08","slug":"bsi-threat-assessment-report-2022-the-cyber-threat-landscape-has-never-been-this-severe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.securitytoday.de\/en\/2022\/11\/10\/bsi-threat-assessment-report-2022-the-cyber-threat-landscape-has-never-been-this-severe\/","title":{"rendered":"BSI Threat Assessment Report 2022: The Cyber Threat Landscape Has Never Been This Severe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has published its 2022 IT Security Threat Assessment. Its core message: the cyber threat landscape is more severe than ever before. Ransomware remains the top threat &#8211; and the war in Ukraine has further intensified the situation.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>TL;DR<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Highest threat level on record:<\/strong> The BSI assesses the current threat level as the highest ever recorded.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ransomware remains #1:<\/strong> Ransomware continues to pose the greatest threat to businesses and public authorities.<\/li>\n<li><strong>116.6 million new malware variants:<\/strong> In 2022, approximately 319,000 new malware variants emerged each day.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Municipalities hit hardest:<\/strong> Counties and municipalities were increasingly targeted.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ukraine spillover effect:<\/strong> The war has measurably heightened Germany\u2019s cyber threat landscape.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The Numbers Behind the Report<\/h2>\n<p>The BSI\u2019s figures speak volumes. A total of 116.6 million new malware variants were registered during the reporting period &#8211; a 15 percent increase year-on-year. Roughly 319,000 new variants appeared daily. Reported security incidents among operators of critical infrastructure (KRITIS) rose by 12 percent. And the average downtime following a ransomware attack on municipalities reached 207 days.<\/p>\n<h2>Ransomware: From Isolated Incident to Systemic Threat<\/h2>\n<p>BSI President Claudia Plattner described ransomware as the most pressing threat today. Attackers continue to professionalize: \u201cRansomware-as-a-Service\u201d lowers entry barriers; double extortion &#8211; encrypting data <em>and<\/em> stealing it &#8211; is now standard practice; and ransom demands keep climbing. Municipal administrations were especially hard-hit in 2022 &#8211; the Anhalt-Bitterfeld district took months to restore normal operations.<\/p>\n<h2>What Businesses Should Take Away from the Report<\/h2>\n<p>The BSI Threat Assessment is no abstract document &#8211; it\u2019s a clear call to action. Companies should review their backup strategy against the 3-2-1 rule, test incident response plans, regularly train staff, segment networks, and expand the use of multifactor authentication (MFA). Organizations adopting the BSI\u2019s IT Baseline Protection Compendium as a framework already have a solid foundation.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Facts at a Glance<\/h2>\n<p><strong>New malware variants:<\/strong> 116.6 million (319,000 per day)<\/p>\n<p><strong>KRITIS incidents:<\/strong> +12% year-on-year<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ransomware downtime (municipalities):<\/strong> Avg. 207 days<\/p>\n<p><strong>BSI assessment:<\/strong> Threat level at an all-time high<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:<\/strong> BSI Threat Assessment Report on IT Security in Germany 2022<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fact:<\/strong> According to Bitkom, only 43 percent of German SMEs have an IT emergency response plan.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fact:<\/strong> German companies invest, on average, 14 percent of their IT budget in cybersecurity, per Bitkom.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<h3>How does the BSI assess the current threat landscape?<\/h3>\n<p>The BSI rates the current threat level as the highest ever recorded. Ransomware, the war in Ukraine, and the growing interconnectivity of operational technology (OT) systems are the main drivers. The agency urges all organizations to significantly strengthen their cybersecurity posture.<\/p>\n<h3>Why are municipalities such frequent targets?<\/h3>\n<p>Municipal administrations often rely on outdated IT systems, operate with limited security budgets, and lack in-house cybersecurity expertise. At the same time, they process sensitive citizen data &#8211; and cannot simply halt operations. That combination makes them highly attractive targets for ransomware groups.<\/p>\n<h3>What is the 3-2-1 backup rule?<\/h3>\n<p>The 3-2-1 rule states: keep three copies of your data, store them on two different media types, and ensure one copy is offline and geographically separate from your primary site. This approach protects even against ransomware capable of encrypting online backups.<\/p>\n<h3>How has the war in Ukraine changed the threat landscape?<\/h3>\n<p>The conflict has triggered a surge in DDoS attacks targeting German infrastructure, intensified espionage campaigns by Russian advanced persistent threat (APT) groups, and increased the risk of spillover effects &#8211; including destructive wiper malware. In response, the BSI raised its national warning level to Orange.<\/p>\n<h3>What specific recommendations does the BSI issue?<\/h3>\n<p>The BSI recommends implementing the IT Baseline Protection Compendium, conducting regular security audits, developing and testing incident response plans, delivering ongoing employee training, enforcing multifactor authentication (MFA), segmenting networks, and joining the Alliance for Cybersecurity.<\/p>\n<h2>Further Reading Across the Network<\/h2>\n<p>Cloud security aligned with BSI standards on cloudmagazin: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cloudmagazin.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cloudmagazin.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Planning your cybersecurity budget effectively on mybusinessfuture: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mybusinessfuture.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mybusinessfuture.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Making IT security a top-management priority on Digital Chiefs: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digital-chiefs.de\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">digital-chiefs.de<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Related Articles<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.securitytoday.de\/en\/2024\/11\/25\/post_id-3649\/\">AI-Powered SOCs: How Automated Security Operations Can Address the Cybersecurity Skills Shortage<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.securitytoday.de\/en\/?p=5044\">ChatGPT and Cybersecurity: Why AI Is Reshaping Both Attack and Defense<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.securitytoday.de\/en\/2022\/12\/15\/post_id-3643\/\">The NIS2 Directive Has Been Adopted: What Comes Next for Businesses<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>Header Image Source: Pexels \/ Mikhail Nilov<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has published its 2022 IT Security Threat Assessment. Its core message: the cyber threat landscape is more severe than ever before. Ransomware remains the top threat &#8211; and the war in Ukraine has further intensified the situation. TL;DR Highest threat level on record: The BSI assesses the [&hellip;]","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":3641,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"cyber threat","_yoast_wpseo_title":"BSI Threat Assessment Report 2022: The Cyber Threat Landscape Has Never Been Thi","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Ransomware threats surge in BSI 2022 report\u2014discover critical insights and protect your systems now. 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