AI-Powered Cyberattacks Cost Germany USD238B in 2025

(MENAFN) Cyberattacks drained an estimated €202 billion ($238 billion) from the German economy in 2025, authorities disclosed Tuesday, as officials sounded the alarm over an accelerating tide of AI-fueled digital crimes orchestrated largely from beyond Germany's borders.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt unveiled the findings at the government's annual cybercrime report briefing, revealing that law enforcement logged close to 334,000 incidents over the course of last year. The report determined that two-thirds of the attacks were carried out by perpetrators either operating from foreign soil or concealing their whereabouts entirely.

"Cybercriminals attack Germany every day—targeting our businesses, our government agencies, and our infrastructure," Dobrindt told reporters in Berlin. "The state cannot be a bystander in the digital realm. We will ensure our investigators are on equal footing with perpetrators, both technically and legally, and are able to strike back," he said.

The report flagged artificial intelligence as a defining feature of the modern cybercrime toolkit, with threat actors increasingly leveraging AI-powered tools to execute attacks at greater speed, identify targets with sharper precision, and erase their digital footprints with unprecedented efficiency.

Ransomware emerged as one of the most damaging and persistent threats, with investigators documenting 1,041 major incidents in 2025 — a 10% year-on-year increase. Public institutions and private enterprises bore the brunt of these attacks, as average ransom demands escalated and total ransom payments reached approximately $15.5 million.

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