Increasing digitisation permeates almost every aspect of life. It helps to develop a new quality of life and, in many areas, it promotes innovative possibilities that lead to improved convenience and efficiency. At the same time, the increased networking of information and entertainment electronics, household appliances and other everyday items creates new risks and potential targets for attack by cyber criminals.

As a result, security in the sense of "digital consumer protection" is becoming increasingly important - for both individual users and society. As the national cyber security authority, BSI therefore faces the task of establishing basic security standards, informing consumers and raising awareness.

To the overview page of topics for consumers

"Digital consumer protection" as a task of the BSI.

As an independent body, the BSI protects consumers in the digitalization process. Therefore...

• the BSI creates the foundations and framework conditions for providers and manufacturers to design secure and trustworthy products and services.
• informs, advises and warns consumers so that they can use digital products and services safely.
• supports consumers in increasing their resilience so that they can cope with IT security incidents.

As a manufacturer-independent and competent technical body, the BSI supports consumers in the risk assessment of technologies, products, services and media offerings. In addition to better protecting individuals, this simultaneously increases societal resilience to cyber threats of all kinds.

Digital consumer protection offerings

Through its digital consumer protection activities, the BSI aims to help consumers better assess cyber risks and implement existing solutions. The focus of cyber criminals is, among other things, on consumers' personal data, but also on attacking entire systems. For example, attackers are trying to penetrate the systems of digital service providers to siphon off sensitive customer data. In addition to this threat to individuals, insecure products also pose a risk to public safety.

In addition, the BSI pursues the following objectives:

• Protecting consumers from security risks in cyber space.
• Raising consumer awareness about the appropriate selection, secure deployment and safe use of marketable networked IT systems and online services, hardware and software
• Alerting consumers to structural and current security risks of these marketable, Internet-enabled IT systems and online services
• Supporting authorized bodies in enforcing consumers' security interests against manufacturers and service providers

The Digital Consumer Protection portfolio at the BSI includes:

• Current topics and incidents: Trending topics, Current publications as well as IT security vulnerabilities.

• Secure in digital everyday life: Tips & recommendations for action for the digital everyday life of private users as well as videos & the BSI podcast 'Update available'.

• Cooperation and research: Studies with cooperation partners as well as information about the consumer market