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Study: Cybersecurity in the automotive industry

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Cybersecurity in the automotive industry

How cyber-resilient is the German automotive industry?

Together with the market research company Techconsult, we surveyed 200 cybersecurity experts and IT decision-makers from the automotive industry.

The survey (conducted in Q3.2025) shows that cybersecurity is becoming a core strategic task for the industry. Connected vehicles, complex supply chains and regulatory requirements such as the EU's Cyber Resilience Act are increasing the pressure on manufacturers and suppliers to ensure security throughout the entire life cycle of their products and services.

The study also makes it clear where automotive companies stand today, which risks they are particularly concerned about and which technologies and processes they want to invest in to strengthen their cyber resilience.

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Cybersecurity
Automotive
Study

75%

Three out of four automotive companies rate the current threat situation as "high" or "very high". The larger the companies are, the more likely they are to see this threat.

47%

Not even half of the companies surveyed believe that they can reliably fend off attacks. This is a sign of an immediate need for action!

Cloud vulnerabilities are the automotive industry's biggest concern

Unlike other industries, the automotive sector sees its greatest risk not in ransomware or malware, but in cloud security vulnerabilities. The biggest challenges in the area of cyber security over the past twelve months were:

Security of the cloud (19.5%)
Threats from ransomware and malware (19%)
Data protection challenges (16.5%)
Dangers from AI (14.5%)
Problems with vehicle vulnerabilities (14%)

Cyber Resilience Act casts its shadow ahead

In addition to the growing threat of cyber attacks, the industry is also preparing for upcoming regulations with its investments. For example, the EU's Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) will require manufacturers of digital products and services to provide verifiable cyber security throughout the entire product life cycle from 2027.

For two out of three companies in the sector (64%) the new legal situation is already having a "very great" or "great" impact. The proportion is even higher for companies that believe their own cyber resilience can be improved: 67.9% fear a significant financial impact.

All results at a glance

Download our free study with the complete results and recommendations for action from our IT and cybersecurity experts:

  • All survey results as visuals
  • Recommendations for action for OEMs and suppliers in the automotive industry