Trend Analyses
Cybersecurity today permeates all areas of life and plays a key role in shaping our digital well-being – from personal finances and medical data to critical infrastructures and national security. In a world where technological advancements bring new security challenges almost daily, it is essential to stay at the forefront of cybersecurity developments. ATHENE proactively anticipates relevant trends and prepares policymakers, industry, and society for their potential impacts and implications. As a leading cybersecurity research center, ATHENE addresses not only technical issues but also the legal frameworks that are essential for responsible and effective security research.
ATHENE researchers provide comprehensive support through studies, expert analyses, and strategic concepts for securing digital services, software, hardware, and critical infrastructures – ranging from detailed risk assessments to the optimization of existing cybersecurity solutions.
ATHENE occupies a unique position in providing strategic support to stakeholders in politics, administration and business. Thanks to our interdisciplinary expertise and ongoing research, we can identify cybersecurity trends early on, analyze them in depth, and develop strategic recommendations for practical action.
In particular, we act as a trusted partner to the public sector in overcoming complex cybersecurity challenges. We support authorities and institutions in proactively responding to new threats and future-proofing their cybersecurity strategy with our comprehensive trend analysis and strategic expertise.
Proven cooperation with key players
Federal Office for Information Security (BSI)
Since 2020, ATHENE has conducted trend analyses for the BSI and provided annual strategic assessments of developments in the cybersecurity landscape. This multi-year analysis enables trends to be tracked systematically and their impact on national cybersecurity to be assessed.
The Hessian Ministry of the Interior, for Security and Homeland Security (HMdI)
ATHENE's successful strategic cooperation with the HMdI has been consolidated since 2023 and includes regular trend analyses on cybersecurity at state level. This ongoing partnership supports the ministry in the strategic orientation of its cybersecurity policy.
International technology landscape
ATHENE also analyses international developments and innovations in cybersecurity. One example of this is the comprehensive analysis of the Israeli cybersecurity startup landscape from mid-2022 to early 2023 for a relevant federal agency, which provided valuable insights into global technology trends and innovation potential.
Zero Trust strategies for public administration
ATHENE has developed a detailed Zero Trust roadmap for a federal state's administration, showing concrete steps for implementing modern security architectures in public administration while taking specific requirements and framework conditions into account.
Your partner for strategic cybersecurity
ATHENE combines cutting-edge research with practical solutions, offering stakeholders from all sectors customized trend analyses and strategy recommendations. Our expertise is based on the close integration of science and practice, and our in-depth knowledge of the German and international cybersecurity landscape.
For further information on our services and current projects, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Supporting the implementation of new regulations
ATHENE's regulatory analysis work focuses on the systematic analysis of legal frameworks and regulatory requirements in the field of cybersecurity research. Through a detailed assessment of existing and evolving regulations, ATHENE provides valuable guidance to companies, public institutions and policy makers. These insights enable stakeholders to identify regulatory risks at an early stage, efficiently implement compliance requirements and proactively participate in the design of future regulations.
Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)
The Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) adopted by the European Commission in October 2024 obliges manufacturers and retailers of products with digital elements to meet its requirements by 2027. ATHENE experts provide information about the CRA at events and give implementation recommendations in various white papers.
Our CRA Offer (in German)
NIS2 Implementation Act
In her statement on the draft NIS2 Implementation Act in the Committee for Internal Affairs and Homeland Security of the German Bundestag on 1 November, ATHENE Board Member Prof. Haya Schulmann makes several recommendations: In order to strengthen cyber security in Germany, the NIS2 directive should be implemented uniformly for all administrative levels, while at the same time the role of the Federal CISO at the BSI should be strengthened, a nationwide situation picture should be made possible, IT basic protection should be introduced across the board, a legal framework for active cyber defence should be created and the BSI's warning options regarding untrustworthy manufacturers should be expanded. All these measures are aimed at making the BSI more independent and protecting the digital infrastructure comprehensively through specific requirements such as zero-trust architectures and routing security.
to the statement
Article in the DuD • Datenschutz und Datensicherheit: "Gute Praktiken zur Offenlegung von Cybersicherheitsschwachstellen", 12/2024
Authrors: Dr. Steven Arzt, Dr. Michael Kreutzer, Linda Schreiber
to the article(behind login)
