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There’s a well-known issue with passwords: Simple passwords are easy to crack, but secure ones are hard to remember — this is a problem if, as good sense dictates, you use a different one for every online service. The idea behind the FIDO project is to supplement passwords and, in the medium term, to replace them altogether. Christoph Bayer, IT security expert at TÜViT, explains how the principle works and what makes it different from and safer than previous procedures.

It has been under discussion since March, and now the German “Coronavirus Warning App" is available for download. The app is designed to help detect and break transmission chains more quickly. How does the German warning app work, what’s the story with data protection, and what experience have other countries had with similar apps? Here’s an overview.

Passwords – everyone needs them, but nobody likes them, and hardly anyone can remember them, which is why too many people still opt for 12345. But we all know that insecure passwords are an invitation to cybercriminals. Security expert Tobias Kippert from TÜViT explains what you should consider when choosing a password, the deadly security sins you should absolutely avoid, and where you should store your passwords.

A lot of online accounts - e-mail, online retail and digital payment services, to name but a few - are chock full of sensitive data. The idea behind two-factor authentication is to ensure that hackers can’t get into private accounts even if they have managed to get hold of the password. IT-Security expert Christoph Bayer from TÜViT explains how this security instrument works and when and where you can use it.

With video conferencing, online gaming and lots of Netflix and its ilk, the coronavirus crisis forced our professional and social life to shift onto the Internet in record time. The question many are anxiously asking is this: is the Internet capable of coping with this abrupt increase in demand? Manuel Sainz of TÜV NORD IT Secure Communications explains how the crisis is affecting things, where bottlenecks might arise and what you can do at home to ensure that the Internet functions as fluidly as possible.

“Higher, faster, further” is a motto that applies not just to sport but also to mobile telephony standards. At least as far as speed is concerned: Waiting in the wings is a new standard in the form of 5G that is predicted to be 20 times faster than the fastest mobile telephony network currently operating. As well as offering more efficient streaming for users, 5G is also poised to usher in the age of autonomous and networked driving. Not to mention its role in advancing the causes of the Smart City, Industry 4.0 and telemedicine.

Since 25 May 2018, the GDPR has entered into force. As of this date, stiff penalties may be imposed for breaches of the data protection provisions. Even so, some companies haven't yet got to grips with the new directive, and for many users it’s still unclear how and in which cases the GDPR will reinforce their rights. #explore explains what companies, website operators and users have to look forward to.

Video cameras designed to use facial recognition to identify criminals, terrorists or other individuals of concern are already in use on a trial basis at Berlin Südkreuz railway station. This project of the German Ministry of the Interior has sparked fierce controversy around the questions of the legal basis for the use of smart video surveillance and its implications for data protection.

It always used to be the case that data protection was at the bottom of the pile when it came to software development. Privacy by Design is now set to change this. Thanks to the General Data Protection Regulation, this principle is even going to be mandatory for companies as of 25 May 2018. Jörg Schlißke explains what's behind the concept and how it will improve data protection for users.

Fake news is now so well camouflaged that, to the untrained eye, it’s very difficult to recognise it as fabricated. But what exactly is fake news? How do false reports spread, and how can you identify them? Dirk Kretzschmar answers these questions in #explore.

Software, hardware and security are subjects that have always been very closely linked. And yet, in the light of increasing networking with the Internet, they will have to dovetail even more closely in the future if protection is to be guaranteed.

Against the backdrop of an increasingly networked world and the need for ever greater security in the field of IT, the Common Criteria (CC) are growing in importance.

Security policy, cyber security, data protection and privacy: these are issues close to Isabel Skierka’s heart.

Cyber attacks are an increasing threat to private individuals, companies and government agencies alike – the consequences can be immense. To avoid these, TÜViT experts uncover vulnerabilities and provide security.