A recent survey carried out by the IT‑industry association Bitkom shows that most Germans feel inadequately prepared for hybrid attacks. Published on Monday, the poll found that only 15 % of respondents consider their household well equipped to handle such threats. In more detail, just 2 % rate their preparedness as very good, 13 % as somewhat good, 27 % as somewhat poor, and a striking 55 % say they are not prepared at all. While 26 % intend to take measures, 29 % do not plan to act in the future.
The same survey reveals strong concerns about a potential crisis. Eighty‑two per cent of respondents expect that Germany could face a serious situation as a result of hybrid attacks. Sixty‑four per cent view the escalating tensions between Russia and NATO as an increasing danger, and nearly half (49 %) anticipate a military confrontation between the two powers within the next five years.
Information gaps are also evident: 64 % of Germans feel not sufficiently informed about hybrid‑attack threats. The most feared consequences are disruptions to critical infrastructure. Seventy‑seven per cent worry that attacks could damage or shut down energy supplies, 69 % are concerned about failures at banks and insurance companies, 60 % fear outages at hospitals and among physicians, 58 % cite water supply, and 54 % cite food supply. Other areas of concern include telecommunications and IT (47 %), public administration (41 %), transport and traffic (35 %), waste management (27 %), and media and culture (22 %).
Bitkom Research conducted the poll by telephone, interviewing 1,263 participants aged 16 and older across Germany. The calls took place between the 51st week of 2025 and the 2nd week of 2026.