Rise in Cybercrimes Triggers Calls for Enhanced Law Enforcement Action - Rise in Cybercrimes Leads to Police Intervention
Lower Saxony, Germany, is currently grappling with a surge in cybercrime, particularly ransomware attacks that have disrupted various sectors and caused significant financial damage.
The increase in cybercrime has put a considerable strain on the police and law enforcement agencies in Lower Saxony. The State Criminal Police Office and the Verden an der Aller public prosecutor’s office, specialising in cybercrime, have been at the forefront of investigations, identifying suspects and coordinating responses.
The proliferation of ransomware groups like BlackSuit, whose operations had affected numerous victims globally and within Germany, has been a key factor in the rise of cybercrime. Vulnerabilities in corporate and public sector digital infrastructure, including outdated or insufficiently secured systems, have also contributed to the problem.
Cybercriminals have been using increasingly sophisticated tactics, such as ransomware that encrypts essential data and demands large ransom payments in cryptocurrencies, causing operational paralysis and financial harm.
In response, authorities and affected organizations have implemented various strategies. These include prompt alerting and involvement of specialized cybercrime police units and prosecutors, international cooperation to take down ransomware groups, and organizations implementing contingency plans to manage the impacts of attacks.
The police have responded to the growing need for criminal digital expertise by increasing the number of cyber investigators and IT specialists. The IT forensics labs of the Lower Saxony police have made a crucial contribution to these efforts.
In 2024, more than 10 petabytes of data were examined by the police in their investigations, up from around 8.5 petabytes in 2023. A total of 3,649 suspects were identified in Germany in 2024, an increase from 3,422 in 2023, while 1,184 suspects were identified abroad, a decrease from 1,339 in 2023.
The new recording rules of the Police Criminal Statistics (PKS), as announced by the Ministry of the Interior, have played a role in providing a more realistic picture of the impact of cybercrime on victims and the police.
Online banking attacks remain a common form of cybercrime, with 2,493 cases registered in 2024, resulting in approximately 11.5 million euros in damages. Cases of child and youth pornography also constituted a significant portion of the cybercrime offenses, with over 60 percent of the cases involving child and youth pornography in 2024.
Minister of the Interior Daniela Behrens (SPD) emphasised the importance of well-equipped police in the face of increased cybercrime at the Lüneburg police headquarters. The Lower Saxony Criminal Investigation Department (LKA) has noted a growing need for criminal digital expertise in response to the increasing volume of digital traces.
The demands of the "crime scene internet" have played an increasingly significant role in the practical work of the police in recent years. Since 2024, cases where the location of the criminal act could not be clearly determined or where the crime was committed from abroad are also being recorded.
In sum, Lower Saxony is experiencing heightened cybercrime risk driven by sophisticated ransomware attacks that strain police capacities and cause severe operational and financial impacts. Responses focus on specialized cyber investigations, international collaboration, and organizational recovery strategies to enhance cyber resilience.
Community policy discussions are now focused on addressing the escalating issue of cybercrime in Lower Saxony, Germany, with an emphasis on improving cybersecurity measures to protect against ransomware attacks.
The increasing sophistication in the technology used by cybercriminals, combined with vulnerabilities in outdated digital infrastructure, necessitates the continuous upgrade of employment policies in government agencies and organizations to ensure they have the necessary cyber expertise.
