The annual security award Sicherheitspreis Baden-Württemberg was presented on 21 March at the eltefa trade fair for electrical engineering in Stuttgart, Germany. The first place in the ranking was given to a digital cylinder lock by ELOCK2 from Deizisau near Stuttgart. Its smart lock technology can be controlled via smartphone or transponder and lets users issue individual access authorizations.
The second place was shared by two companies this year. This includes the Walldorf-based company Schweickert Netzwerktechnik GmbH, which was awarded for developing a web application for an Internet Security Audit or ISA check. The software solution standardizes test procedures for internal audits on information security.
The Automotive Aftermarket division of the Robert Bosch GmbH also achieved second place. They had launched an internal awareness campaign for staff called a One Security Day, which aimed to raise awareness for security measures on an internal level. The campaign focused on data protection and information security as well as on compliance, location security, and travel security.
Raising awareness amongst employees is an “essential factor for a successful security strategy in the company,” as Baden-Württemberg’s minister for economic affairs Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, one of the patrons of the award, emphasizes. This also proves true for digital security measures: “Cyberattacks are increasing and lead to high losses,” says Hoffmeister-Kraut. Despite this, many companies don’t recognize the potential risks and fail to implement essential measures to protect their knowledge, recent findings by the German research center Fraunhofer ISI show.
With its biennial security award, the Sicherheitsforum Baden-Württemberg aims to increase public awareness of operational security measures. The award, which is under the joint patronage of the Baden-Württemberg ministers Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut and Thomas Strobl, is intended to help prevent the losses caused by knowledge theft.
