Well-protected against cybercrime

"The threat in cyberspace is higher than ever before," warns the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) in its latest report on IT security in Germany. According to the BSI, a quarter of a million new malware variants were found there in 2023 – every day. This is why cybersecurity is a top priority at a. hartrodt. The security team in the central Global IT division of the management holding company works continuously to eliminate potential threats. "Technically, we are very far ahead, which is reflected in regular audits," says Tonio Schmetz, IT Security Manager at a. hartrodt in Hamburg.

Successful audits at various national companies

In April, the security team successfully completed an audit on the processing of financial data for a. hartrodt Australia, thereby fulfilling all cybersecurity and data protection requirements. According to Tonio Schmetz, there were previously many activities at various national subsidiaries of the family-owned company in January and February: "Our systems were checked for customs laws and aviation security, for example."

Ransomware increasingly threatens small and medium-sized enterprises

Tonio Schmetz believes that cyberattacks with ransomware pose a major threat. "Hackers sneak into systems, encrypt the IT infrastructure and demand a ransom," explains the expert. According to the BSI, this is increasingly affecting small and medium-sized companies. The BSI reports that 84 percent of all fraudulent emails in 2023 were phishing emails that wanted to steal authentication data. Therefore, a. hartrodt is constantly running internal awareness campaigns in various languages to train all employees worldwide. "Colleagues learn how to behave correctly in the event of a phishing email," says Tonio Schmetz.

At the same time, the a. hartrodt security team is seeking direct dialog with customers. This is because cyber criminals are now increasingly using artificial intelligence technologies.