The Landesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Akteneinsicht in Brandenburg, Dagmar Hartge, published a 2018 report on data protection. The year 2018 was marked by the implementation of the GDPR, which caused uncertainty among businesses and public institutions. Hartge noted that her staff were busy answering questions, conducting trainings, and calming concerns. Facebook was a focus area, with a case involving the public sharing of an ex-employee's tax debt leading to a fine. WhatsApp was found to be unsuitable for data protection due to data storage on third-party servers. The police's emergency command system was found to have data protection violations, including lack of access restrictions and encryption. The Landesbeauftragte checked the Clinical Cancer Register and found that while physical security was adequate, there was no comprehensive data deletion policy. Data protection cooperation with EU authorities increased, with 597 cross-border cases reviewed. Most cases still followed the old law. The Landesbeauftragte now publishes annual data protection reports and biennial reports on access to records. The Hasso-Plattner Institute introduced a new master's program in Cybersecurity. IT security is a critical issue for digital transformation, with trends including social engineering, AI in security, industrial networks, automation, cloud security, and data protection. State actors are increasing cyber activities, posing a threat to businesses. Controlware highlighted key security trends for 2019, emphasizing the need for proactive measures. Biometric authentication is being integrated for higher security in trusted authentication.The Landesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Akteneinsicht in Brandenburg, Dagmar Hartge, published a 2018 report on data protection. The year 2018 was marked by the implementation of the GDPR, which caused uncertainty among businesses and public institutions. Hartge noted that her staff were busy answering questions, conducting trainings, and calming concerns. Facebook was a focus area, with a case involving the public sharing of an ex-employee's tax debt leading to a fine. WhatsApp was found to be unsuitable for data protection due to data storage on third-party servers. The police's emergency command system was found to have data protection violations, including lack of access restrictions and encryption. The Landesbeauftragte checked the Clinical Cancer Register and found that while physical security was adequate, there was no comprehensive data deletion policy. Data protection cooperation with EU authorities increased, with 597 cross-border cases reviewed. Most cases still followed the old law. The Landesbeauftragte now publishes annual data protection reports and biennial reports on access to records. The Hasso-Plattner Institute introduced a new master's program in Cybersecurity. IT security is a critical issue for digital transformation, with trends including social engineering, AI in security, industrial networks, automation, cloud security, and data protection. State actors are increasing cyber activities, posing a threat to businesses. Controlware highlighted key security trends for 2019, emphasizing the need for proactive measures. Biometric authentication is being integrated for higher security in trusted authentication.