“G DATA’s Security Awareness trainings have significantly increased security awareness at HBC-radiomatic”

Soenke Knipp:  HBC-radiomatic is a globally operating family business. At our headquarters in Crailsheim, we develop and manufacture radio-controlled operating solutions for demanding industrial applications - from construction machinery and port vehicles to mowing and firefighting robots - ensuring safe, convenient, and efficient human-machine interaction. We are a classic hidden champion within the German SME sector.

Soenke Knipp: For us, a robust and reliable IT infrastructure is essential. IT is our backbone. If a system fails, it can have serious consequences. Accordingly, functional security is of great importance. We deliberately operate many systems on-premise in our own data center and selectively complement them with cloud services. A team of ten is responsible for IT operations, development, support, cloud integration, and information security—directly reporting to technical management.

Soenke Knipp: The threat landscape has intensified significantly. Increasing incidents affecting SMEs have shown us how severe the consequences of even minor technical misconfigurations can be. We therefore decided to consistently strengthen our security measures and to establish security awareness training as a permanent and structured component. We asked ourselves how to turn occasional training sessions into a sustainable security culture. Initial attempts to build this internally quickly revealed both content-related and technical limitations. Additionally, regulatory requirements such as the NIS2 directive make it clear that continuous training is no longer optional but mandatory for compliance.

Soenke Knipp: In the course of internationalization and the use of digital tools, security knowledge needed to be scalable and verifiable. Training had to integrate seamlessly into onboarding processes—multilingual, documentable, and audit-proof. We also wanted to train all employees, from production to accounting and IT.

Soenke Knipp: We selected G DATA after thoroughly comparing various providers. A key factor was that the training is well received by employees—thanks to scenarios closely aligned with real working environments. G DATA uses professionally produced videos, which is particularly important for a workforce with high technical expertise and long tenure. This makes the content feel authentic and credible.

From a technical perspective, G DATA also impressed us. The platform was easily integrated into our existing IT environment via single sign-on. It was also crucial that we could enrich the learning platform with our own content. Transparent progress reports for managers complete the system and ensure traceability of training status.

Soenke Knipp: The implementation was quick and straightforward. After setting up the cloud instance and integrating SSO, our IT team handled the fine configuration together with G DATA support. Technical challenges were resolved in a collaborative and customer-oriented manner.

Soenke Knipp: To accommodate different levels of prior knowledge, we use G DATA’s three-level plan. Mandatory courses are tailored to each department. Production staff with limited IT exposure complete the compact basic module, while office and development teams go through all three levels. This differentiated approach significantly reduced time investment in production—without compromising content quality.

Soenke Knipp: In ruhigeren Produktionsphasen stehen Lern-PCs zur Verfügung, die Teamleitungen behalten die Fortschritte im Blick und können gegebenenfalls motivierend auf Mitarbeitende einwirken. Lernen verstehen wir dabei bewusst als gemeinsames Projekt – wer mag, darf Inhalte im Tandem durcharbeiten und voneinander lernen.

Soenke Knipp: Yes. Our international locations benefit from it, particularly due to its multilingual capabilities. Within the EU, the system has been rolled out across all branches, while countries with different legal frameworks or IT structures, such as the US and Switzerland, are trained separately.

Soenke Knipp: Feedback has been positive. More and more employees are reporting suspicious emails. The number of reports has increased significantly, which clearly indicates growing awareness. Many employees also say they benefit privately from the training content—for example, in managing passwords, using two-factor authentication, or handling online services. Our customers also respond positively, as we can clearly demonstrate in audits that security training is conducted regularly and documented. This builds trust and strengthens our position with partners and clients.

Soenke Knipp: Yes. We conducted a realistic phishing simulation to test effectiveness. While some participants clicked on the prepared links, what mattered more to us was the learning curve—and that has been impressive. Employees now report suspicious messages much faster, and the quality of reports has improved significantly.

Soenke Knipp: The collaboration is relaxed yet reliable. Support is provided when needed—without unnecessary overactivity. In regular meetings, a dedicated Customer Success Manager helps us assess project success and plan next steps, such as knowledge checks on the learning platform or addressing current cybersecurity trends. When detailed questions arise, G DATA responds quickly and in a solution-oriented manner.

Soenke Knipp: The awareness trainings have significantly increased security awareness within the company. Security is no longer seen as purely an IT responsibility but as a shared responsibility across all employees. Thanks to the three-level plan and targeted recertifications, time investment has decreased while the level of security has increased. The training also meets key regulatory requirements, which consistently proves beneficial in audits.

• HBC-radiomatic has strategically embedded security awareness to address increasing cyber threats and regulatory requirements such as NIS2.

• G DATA’s training stands out through practical content, strong employee acceptance, and flexible integration into existing IT environments.

• A differentiated training approach (three-level model) enables targeted learning—from production to IT.

• Measurable success includes increased sensitivity to phishing and improved reporting quality.

• Security is increasingly understood as a company-wide responsibility, strengthening trust among customers and partners.