In the interview with Christine Deger, owner of Cyberluchs GbR and Cyberluchs for Business

The economic threat to companies, not only in the SME sector but also for large corporations, is growing day by day. Hardly a day goes by without new extortion attempts coming to light, data theft and hacking incidents being reported. We have arrived in the digital age and the “dark side of power” is on the rise. All the more important is that all those involved in the company understand that security is under threat and therefore poses a risk. In an interview with Christine Deger, owner of Cyberluchs for Business, we talk today about the current threat situation, technologies for evaluation, her role as crisis coordinator and what it means to work with a cyber expert.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Ms. Deger, if you read your speaker profile, you could get scared straight away. Data theft, hacking incidents, cyber terrorism. Has the IT security situation actually worsened in recent months? How do you assess the current situation?

Christine Deger: Unfortunately yes – if we look at the reports from the last few weeks alone – it’s not getting better, but rather worse. Critical infrastructures in particular are at risk. Take, for example, the gas pipeline in the USA, hospitals and transport systems. We are currently seeing an increase in attacks in these areas.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: You support IT managers at C-level in all matters relating to IT security, but also in the area of software development. What challenges do you face?

Christine Deger: We start with the cybersecurity strategy – here, company managers first need a complete overview of their own IT. IT services that are outsourced are also important. Either to service providers or into a cloud system. This ensures that the risks become transparent. Then we can start defining the measures that contribute to targeted protection and thus minimize the risks.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: In your role, you also work as an interim manager. Does it even make sense to bring in an interim manager in the field of IT security?

Christine Deger: Yes – it does. Information security officers (ISB) are sparring partners for data protection officers. They bring a different perspective on the issues into the company. Many smaller and/or medium-sized companies initially do not have anyone in the company who can take on this role. Mostly, internal employees are trained and I take on the role externally in the meantime. Once the employee has completed basic training, I support them in practice. I assist with work organization, annual planning and internal/external audits. This is a relatively new offering that I am currently expanding.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: You really enjoy writing. For example, you also run your own blog on the topic of cyber security, and you’re also a published author. How do you find the time for that? What drives you?

Christine Deger: My curiosity and the ongoing changes in technology, organization, and processes, as well as the confidence that we humans can learn from them. And my passion for research. I love gathering information and I’m good at presenting complex contexts in simple terms. I also enjoy sharing my knowledge. After 20 years of practical experience, I’ve witnessed many scenarios “live and in color.” From this, many solutions emerge. My definition of a “cyber security mindset” (the attitude toward it) is based on openness and continuous development.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Do you think women respond differently to IT security challenges in companies than men? What sets you apart as a cyber security expert, and in what ways—perhaps—do your approaches differ from those of your male colleagues?

Christine Deger: From my perspective, I often grasp connections faster than my male colleagues. And I involve all stakeholders—including technical staff—from the very beginning. I build a bridge between the IT department and management, ensuring an understanding of the needs and goals on both sides. Establishing shared understanding and focusing on a common goal is very helpful. It’s only possible together—think of crisis mode. When a crisis hits, you need a team that acts quickly and supports one another. Only then can you ensure that the right decisions are made swiftly.

It’s not enough to simply buy cool, modern software. If I don’t have a goal, if I don’t know what purpose or function it’s supposed to serve, then the use of hardware and software is pointless. The saying “a fool with a tool is still a fool” illustrates what I mean. I often find my male colleagues to be more technically oriented. While that’s fundamentally good and correct, it requires meaningful use of technology. If the focus is solely on technology, other aspects—such as processes, organization, communication, and collaboration—are overlooked. In practice, this is where the implementation of a comprehensive IT security strategy often fails.

I recommend that companies organize soft skills training for their male employees and provide technical training for women. Since the industry is predominantly male-dominated, this helps balance things out and leads to better collaboration.

I also enjoy mentoring young women who want to enter the field. It brings me a lot of joy.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: Post-pandemic, contingency plans and IT security concepts will look different than they did before. What recommendations do you have for SMEs and large companies to be better prepared for eventualities in the future?

Christine Deger: My favorite example here is always the fire department. Everyone understands how important it is to have a functioning fire department that responds in the event of a fire, is prepared, and has a concrete, practiced plan. The firefighters don’t start discussing who will take on which task—they know exactly what to do because it’s been tried and tested.

If companies adopt this mindset, they will prepare accordingly. And, with my support, they will continually practice dealing with threats calmly and confidently. If something does happen, they can calmly refer to their plans and have a well-trained team in place. This naturally comes at a cost and requires investments, including in employee training. The key is to budget for these investments and allocate a fixed annual budget for them—just like fire departments or other emergency services do.

We’re seeing just how important this is with the current flooding disaster in parts of Germany. You can’t start training when the disaster is already underway—it has to be done beforehand.

The same applies to pandemics. Companies that had already created pandemic plans years ago (in 2006, when bird flu was spreading) were well-prepared. They simply had to update their existing documents and often already had an IT infrastructure that could be expanded for remote work requirements. Thinking ahead about such scenarios helps us respond better. And with every crisis, we learn and gain experience. After all, knowledge has a timestamp—I know more today than yesterday, and more tomorrow than today.

DIGITAL FUTUREmag: That sounds like a solid plan! Thank you very much for this fascinating conversation.