DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW

What DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW does

DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW, legally operating as CYBERSEC-NRW gGmbH, is a state-commissioned cybersecurity competency center registered in Bochum, Germany, that provides free cybersecurity services, education, and emergency-response guidance to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Its core offerings include the IT-Sicherheitskompass (a downloadable PDF-based guide covering passwords, encryption, backups, mobile security, eCommerce security, and home office practices), the Soforthilfe (Emergency Assistance) step-by-step incident response framework, free digital consultation hours (Erstberatung), a regular webinar program (Effective Backups; Digital sicher im Betrieb) hosted on Zoom, and the annual #umsetzungstag implementation day that by 2026 reached its fifth anniversary. The center also administers the MID-Digitale Sicherheit grant program launched in October 2022 by the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs, which subsidizes SME investments in identifying and closing digital security gaps, and in 2026 introduced "Stabil im Netz," an online training on countering targeted misinformation and AI-generated deceptive content.

The technology stack is intentionally lightweight and entirely based on third-party commercial tools rather than proprietary infrastructure: Zoom for webinars and events, StreamYboxy (MAKONIS GmbH) for digital live streams, CleverReach for newsletter distribution, meetergo for appointment booking, and Matomo for web analytics. Distribution is exclusively digital and self-serve across the center's own website (digital-sicher.nrw), LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and a YouTube channel (@digitalsichernrw). There are no native mobile applications, no APIs, and no disclosed SDKs or developer integrations.

DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW has no commercial revenue model; all services are provided free of charge. The organization is fully funded by the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Innovation, Digitalisierung und Energie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs) and operates as a multiplier within the Allianz für Cyber-Sicherheit (BSI), with supporting partnerships from Cyber Security Cluster Bonn and eurobits e.V. Management consists of two Geschäftsführer (Managing Directors), Sebastian Barchnicki and Hyun-Dee Ro. Geographically, the center is restricted to serving SMEs within North Rhine-Westphalia and has no disclosed expansion outside the state.

Name

DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW

Legal name

CYBERSEC-NRW gGmbH

Website

https://digital-sicher.nrw

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW (CYBERSEC-NRW gGmbH) is a state-commissioned, publicly funded cybersecurity competency center in Bochum, Germany, that provides free cybersecurity education, consultation, incident-response guidance, and grant administration to small and medium enterprises in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bochum

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Funding / Government Commission: DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW is a publicly funded competency center commissioned by the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Innovation, Digitalisierung und Energie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs). All services — webinars, consultations, events, and informational materials — are provided free of charge to SMEs in NRW. The organization is operated by CYBERSEC-NRW gGmbH.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW is a state-commissioned, non-profit cybersecurity competency center for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It provides free advisory services, including personalized cybersecurity consultations (Erstberatung), emergency response assistance for cyberattacks (Soforthilfe), educational webinars and workshops, the annual #umsetzungstag implementation day, downloadable guides via the IT-Sicherheitskompass, and the MID-Digitale Sicherheit funding program. All services are publicly funded and offered at no cost to qualifying SMEs in NRW.

Product overview

DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW is a government-funded cybersecurity competence center for small and medium enterprises in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The organization offers a portfolio of free advisory services including the IT-Sicherheitskompass (IT Security Compass) as the core guidance framework, initial consultations (Erstberatung), emergency assistance for cyber attacks (Soforthilfe), webinars and events, and the annual #umsetzungstag action day. The center also administers the MID-Digitale Sicherheit funding program for security improvements and provides informational materials including guides on encryption, backups, smartphones, and eCommerce security. All offerings are free for NRW businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IT-Sicherheitskompass (IT Security Compass) A comprehensive digital security guide for small and medium enterprises providing step-by-step guidance on securing IT systems, covering topics such as passwords, encryption, backups, mobile devices, browser security, spam/antivirus, home office, and eCommerce security.
• MID-Digitale Sicherheit (Digital Security Funding Program) A funding program initiated by the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs that provides subsidies for small and medium enterprises to detect and address security vulnerabilities in their operations.
• Erstberatung (Initial Digital Consultation) Free initial consultation service providing personalized advice on digital security measures tailored to the specific needs of small and medium enterprises in NRW.
• Soforthilfe bei Cyberattacken (Emergency Cyberattack Assistance) Emergency assistance service providing step-by-step guidance for businesses experiencing cybersecurity incidents, including immediate response protocols, crisis center formation, documentation rules, and contact information for authorities such as LKA NRW, BKA, and Verfassungsschutz NRW.
• Webinare und Veranstaltungen (Webinars and Events) Free online webinars and events covering various digital security topics including effective backups, secure passwords, antivirus protection, and practical implementation workshops.
• #umsetzungstag (Annual Implementation Day) Annual action day featuring free online workshops teaching practical skills for protecting against data loss, fraud, and extortion through hands-on exercises.
• Stabil im Netz: Online-Training gegen Desinformation Online training program designed to help small and medium enterprises recognize and combat targeted misinformation and deceptive AI-generated content.
• Infomaterialien (Ratgeber, Flyer, Studien) Free informational materials including guides on encryption, backups, smartphones, eCommerce security, WhatsApp in business, and data destruction, available as downloadable PDFs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of SMEs in NRW have internet access, 64.4% have their own website, 17.1% use digital ordering/reservation systems — demonstrating the scale of the digital attack surface requiring support.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Innovation, Digitalisierung und Energie des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen (Wirtschaft.NRW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs commissioned DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW and funds its operations as a competency center for cybersecurity in the NRW economy. This is the primary commissioning and funding relationship underpinning all of DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW's activities.
• Allianz für Cyber-Sicherheit (Cyber Security Alliance — BSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIGITAL.SICHER.NRW is a Multiplikator (multiplier) of the Allianz für Cyber-Sicherheit, an initiative of the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI). This partnership enables the center to distribute BSI resources and guidance to SMEs in NRW and to contribute to nationwide cybersecurity awareness.
• Cyber Security Cluster Bonn e.V.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIGITAL.SICHER.NRW is supported by the Cyber Security Cluster Bonn, a regional cybersecurity ecosystem. The cluster and the center collaborate on content development, events (e.g., expert roundtables, journalism seminars), and awareness campaigns targeting the regional SME community.
• eurobits e.V.majorStrategic or Co-development Partnereurobits is a European competency center for security in information technology based in Bonn. It has been promoting technology transfer since 1999 and supports DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW as a technology partner, including involvement in initiatives like the Cyberwehr pilot project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI): Federal German cybersecurity agency and overarching authority. While not focused exclusively on SMEs, it provides nationwide guidance, certifications (BSI Grundschutz), and consumer/business alerts — and is the parent context in which DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW operates. Its SME outreach could potentially subsume regional programs.

Others

• Cyber Security Cluster Bonn e.V. Regional cybersecurity ecosystem and explicitly a strategic partner of DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW. Comparable as a regional cybersecurity network in NRW, though focused more on industry collaboration and innovation than SME awareness delivery.
• Bitkom e.V. Germany's digital industry association. Publishes widely-cited cybercrime statistics (cited by DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW) and runs cybersecurity working groups and SME programs. Comparable as a public-facing digital policy and security awareness voice, though commercially oriented rather than government-commissioned.
• Verbraucherzentrale NRW: Public-benefit consumer protection agency providing free advice to NRW residents on digital topics including data protection and online fraud. Comparable as a state-funded, free-advisory model serving NRW citizens/individuals, though consumer-focused rather than SME-focused.
• TÜV Rheinland i-sec / TÜV NORD CERT: Commercial certification and testing providers offering ISO 27001 audits, TISAX, and SME cybersecurity assessments. Comparable as providers of formal cybersecurity assurance services to German SMEs, though commercially priced rather than free.
• Industrie- und Handelskammer (IHK) NRW: Chambs of Industry and Commerce across NRW provide advisory services and digitalization/cybersecurity guidance to member SMEs. Comparable as a trusted, regionally-organized institutional channel reaching NRW SMEs, though operating with broader commercial-enablement scope.
• eco – Verband der Internetwirtschaft e.V. German internet industry association with initiatives on IT security, trust services, and SME digitalization. Comparable as an industry-driven ecosystem player with cybersecurity awareness content for SMEs, though broader in scope than DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW's mandate.

Regional players

• Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum (federal network): Network of federal SME digitalization competence centers providing free advice, demos, and training to small and medium businesses on digitalization topics including IT security. Highly comparable mission and SME target audience, though operating at federal level with multiple regional centers rather than a single state focus.

Direct peers

• Allianz für Cyber-Sicherheit: BSI-led initiative aggregating companies and organizations to strengthen Germany's cyber resilience. Directly comparable as a public-benefit cybersecurity awareness/exchange platform — and notably a partner of DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW, blurring partner/peer lines. Operates nationally rather than regionally.
• Deutschland sicher im Netz (DsiN) e.V. German non-profit consortium promoting IT security awareness for consumers and SMEs — directly comparable mission and target audience. While DsiN operates federally, it shares the same awareness-and-education mandate for the same customer base (small businesses), making it the closest peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@digitalsichernrw
• Facebookfacebook.com/DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digital-sicher-nrw
• Instagraminstagram.com/digitalsichernrw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DIGITAL.SICHER.NRW