Vulnerable online? How risky children's everyday digital lives are
BSI and police shed light on risks in everyday digital family life. Over a third of parents report cyberbullying and inappropriate content such as porn.
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A recent study by the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the police reveals alarming figures: Only just under a third of parents in Germany inform children about impending online dangers and relevant protective measures. This is the result of a recently published special evaluation of the Cybersecurity Monitor 2025. This is a representative survey commissioned by the Police Crime Prevention of the Federal States and the Federal Government (ProPK) and the BSI.
According to the survey, over a third of parents surveyed have heard of negative experiences their children and young people have had. These most frequently include cyberbullying, for example in social networks or chat groups, as well as inappropriate content. The youngsters mainly reported violence, pornography or racism. The analysis also shows that parents are more likely to talk about how to deal with strangers online, such as contact requests. This is the case for 51% of parents of children and 53% in the case of adolescents. Parents are much less likely to discuss specific protective measures such as securing accounts or recognizing online fraud.
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Tips and teaching aids
In order to strengthen the digital security of children and young people, the BSI and police are providing targeted help for parents, teachers and educators. These contain practical tips and teaching materials. The ProPK also offers information on the prevention of cybergrooming for primary school teachers and parents.
According to the latest Cybersecurity Monitor, the majority of consumers in Germany do not adequately protect their user accounts and devices. Only 34% stated that they use two-factor authentication – a significant decrease compared to 2023, when it was still 42%. There is also a negative trend when it comes to fixing vulnerabilities: while 36% of Germans still relied on automatic security updates in 2023, this figure had fallen to just 27% by 2025. The proportion of those who install manual updates fell from 30% to 24%.
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