The German Cyber Criminal Überfall: Shifts in Europe's Data Leak Landscape

Written by: Jamie Collier, Robin Grunewald

Germany has reclaimed its position as a primary focus for cyber extortion in Europe. While data leak site (DLS) posts rose almost 50% globally in 2025, Google Threat Intelligence (GTI) data shows that the surge is hitting German infrastructure harder and faster than its regional neighbors, marking a significant return to the high-pressure levels previously observed in the country during 2022 and 2023.

Cyber Criminals Pivoting Back to Germany

Germany moved to the forefront of European data leak targets in 2025. Following a 2024 period where the UK led in DLS victims, this pivot reflects a resurgence of the intense pressure observed across German infrastructure during 2022 and 2023.

This targeting is not a result of the overall number of companies within Europe, as Germany has fewer active enterprises than France or Italy. Instead, its sustained appeal to extortion groups is driven by its ...