At a meeting between NRW’s Minister of Economic Affairs Mona Neubaur and representatives from the business sector in Düsseldorf, the project “Model Region Cybersecurity Bergisches Land” was presented. It originates from the initiative “Wirtschaft.Digital.Sicher NRW.”

Already in 2023, the NRW state government launched the initiative for cybersecurity in the NRW economy. Among other measures, the Cyber Security Model Region continues the state government’s support to help companies strengthen their resilience against cyberattacks.

The project in Bergisches Land, awarded to the Bergische Gesellschaft, focuses on developing effective protection strategies in response to the increasing number of cyberattacks in the area. Its goal is to strengthen cybersecurity skills. The strategies developed can serve as a model for other regions.

Stephan A. Vogelskamp: “The recent cyberattacks in Bergisches Land have shown us how vulnerable our digital infrastructures still are. With the project ‘Model Region Cybersecurity Bergisches Land,’ we are implementing targeted measures to strengthen cybersecurity skills, especially among SMEs. This aims to create lasting security awareness and establish effective protection strategies in the region, which can serve as a role model for all of NRW.”

Thanks to his committee work in the area of Cyber Security at the state government last year, Stephan A. Vogelskamp was able to position the Bergische region. Now funding access is being clarified by the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs. Later, an office for the model region can be established.

The Minister of Economic Affairs emphasized the importance of digital security for economic stability in North Rhine-Westphalia. She stressed the urgency of continuing to increase the digital resilience of companies. United efforts can especially help small and medium-sized enterprises to address digital security within their operations.