Despite cyber attacks on administration and companies in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern that have attracted media attention, the importance of IT security has not yet been recognized in all companies, according to some chambers of industry and commerce. "In our opinion, the topic of IT security is treated somewhat 'stepmotherly' by many small companies," said the Neubrandenburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce. In Rostock, too, there is still a lack of knowledge and awareness in some companies. All IHKs - including in Schwerin - see a need for employee training, especially to prevent data theft through so-called phishing emails.

A survey presented in December by the Ipsos survey institute on behalf of Commerzbank also identified a weakness here. Of the 100 companies that took part in the survey in the North East, a third stated that they had already suffered an attack. Damage is known at 3 percent: In most cases, data was captured, according to the report, but a fifth were also held to ransom.

According to Andreas Noack, Professor of IT Security at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are particularly at risk. The IT expert sees the biggest problems in the human factor: "First and foremost, it is therefore insecurities in dealing with IT systems, in particular the lack of knowledge of cyber attack patterns, that play into the hands of hackers". Cyber attacks on a purely technical basis, on the other hand, are rare; people are usually directly involved.

Something has happened on the government side since the cyberattack on the state capital's IT at the end of 2021: "The state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has been reacting proactively for several years now" to the increasing relevance of the topic in the course of digitalization, said Noack. He particularly praised the planned central IT authority - the ZDMV - Zentrum für Digitalisierung Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

However, the Ministry of the Interior is far from giving the all-clear: "Attacks on IT security have not only become more diverse in recent years, but also more complex," said Christian Pegel (SPD). The danger is still at a high level. Companies are advised to contact the Central Cybercrime Contact Point of the State Office of Criminal Investigation in the event of an attack: "The proven experts offer their help and are closely networked with the local police stations."