SYNAXON IT Security Forum 2026

Press release

Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock, June 24, 2026 – In light of the persistently critical threat landscape in cyberspace, the professional protection of corporate structures is rapidly gaining in importance. Against this backdrop, this year's SYNAXON IT Security Forum 2026 brought together a total of 130 IT service providers, security solution providers, and experts to discuss the latest issues in digital security and develop practical strategies for the market.

The starting point: An economy in the crosshairs

Nemo Buschmann (Bitkom e. V.) underscored the urgent need for these strategies with the latest figures from the economic security study. In his keynote address, "Germany's Economy in the Crosshairs," he painted a worrying picture of the current situation: Nine out of ten companies are now affected by attacks – the majority of the damage stems from cyberattacks and increasingly from complex, hybrid threats. Since many businesses feel inadequately prepared for a crisis, Buschmann appealed to IT service providers to take a holistic approach to resilience: "Mental preparation for crises is one of the most important things. Then 'What now?' becomes 'I know what to do,'" said Buschmann.

The gateway: Why technology alone is not enough

Sascha Bolmer (Alphasolid IT GmbH) emphasized that the path to this resilience must begin deep within the company structure. Drawing on his experience as a penetration tester, he reported that IT service providers often focus too heavily on purely technical security mechanisms. Attackers, on the other hand, usually choose the path of least resistance and exploit human psychology. Through phishing or vishing (deceptive phone calls), they circumvent the technology. Bolmer therefore advocated for a radical rethink of employee awareness training: Instead of static videos, direct, interactive training demonstrably and drastically reduces click rates in simulated attacks.

The consequence: liability risks for management.

However, if humans remain the greatest risk and attacks can never be completely ruled out, legal and financial protection automatically moves into focus. This was the starting point for Viviane Stock's (SMK AG) presentation on "IT Security, Liability, and Insurability." Her central message: The issue of liability is massively underestimated in medium-sized businesses. Since cyber insurance policies are highly individualized, application questions must be error-free. She advised IT service providers to never accept the vague "state of the art" clause regarding technical obligations in their contracts – this often serves as leverage for insurers to deny coverage. Ultimately, cybersecurity is simply a matter for top management: "Whoever decides is liable – and in companies, that's the management."„

Implementation: Pragmatic security concepts for medium-sized businesses

The crucial question of the day was therefore: How can this balancing act between maximum security, legal compliance, and limited budgets be mastered in the day-to-day operations of a systems integrator? This dynamic was addressed in the panel discussion moderated by Friedrich Pollert (SYNAXON AG). Under the title "How much IT security can 'smaller' companies manage, and how do I deal with these customers?", the systems integrator experts Andre Befort (coliex systems GmbH), Patrick Tecklenburg (HSE Computersysteme), and Johannes Ernst (Happycomputer GmbH) discussed the topic.
While Befort advocated for consistent standardization and uniform security standards, Tecklenburg and Ernst emphasized the need for individual, step-by-step approaches. However, the discussion and the participants were unanimous on the most important conclusion: A clearly defined minimum standard of IT security is no longer negotiable. Even with smaller budgets, a considerable level of security can be achieved if system integrators prioritize essential basic security measures and present them to the customer transparently and practically.

Conclusion and outlook: Knowledge transfer as the key to success

In addition to the professional insights, the event offered the 130 participants the opportunity to delve deeper into the discussed approaches through direct dialogue and to exchange valuable experiences.
Friedrich Pollert, head of the SYNAXON Academy, summarizes the success of the event: „The IT Security Forum has once again demonstrated the importance of collaborative exchange on equal footing. The threat landscape remains at a consistently high level, but awareness among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is noticeably increasing. Our partners are now entering the second half of the year with concrete, pragmatic strategies. We will continue precisely this close exchange of practical knowledge in the coming year.“