G Data CyberDefense

{{Infobox company

| name = G DATA CyberDefense AG

| logo = G DATA CyberDefense Logo.jpg

| image = G DATA War Room.jpg

| image_caption = Inside G Data Campus in Bochum

| type =

| traded_as =

| foundation = {{Start date and age|1985}}

| founder =

| defunct =

| location_city = Bochum

| location_country = Germany

| key_people = Kai Figge
Andreas Lüning

| industry = Computer software

| products = Antivirus software

| services =

| revenue = €38.9 million (2021)

| operating_income =

| net_income =

| aum =

| assets =

| equity =

| owner =

| num_employees = 500[https://www.gdata-software.com/about-g-data IT security from the inventor of the antivirus] G DATA CyberDefense

| parent =

| divisions =

| subsid =

| homepage = {{URL|https://www.gdata-software.com/}}
{{URL|https://www.gdatasoftware.co.uk/}}

| footnotes =

| intl =

}}

G Data CyberDefense AG (until September 2019 G Data Software AG{{cite web|title=CyberDefense - Made in Germany: G DATA ab sofort mit neuem Namen|url=https://www.gdata.de/news/cyberdefense-made-in-germany-g-data-ab-sofort-mit-neuem-namen|last=G. DATA|date=2019-09-30|language=de}}{{cite web|title=Handelsregisterauszug von G DATA Software AG aus Bochum (HRB 6886)|url=https://www.online-handelsregister.de/handelsregisterauszug/nw/Bochum/G/G+DATA+Software+AG/658034|access-date=2019-11-06|archive-date=2019-10-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016090901/https://www.online-handelsregister.de/handelsregisterauszug/nw/Bochum/G/G+DATA+Software+AG/658034}}) is a German software company that focuses on computer security. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Bochum. They are known for being the creators of the world's first antivirus software.{{cite news|last1=Popiolek|first1=Hubert|last2=Dewitz|first2=Dany|date=22 May 2015|title=Virenschutz made in Germany: Das steht hinter G Data|url=http://www.computerbild.de/artikel/cb-Special-G-Data-Internet-Security-CBE-10011799.html|newspaper=Computer Bild|language=de|access-date=14 June 2017|archive-date=19 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519171635/https://www.computerbild.de/artikel/cb-Special-G-Data-Internet-Security-CBE-10011799.html|url-status=dead}} G Data uses multiple scanning engines; one is developed in-house and the other is the Bitdefender engine. G Data provides several security products that are targeted at home and business markets. The company has a North American subsidiary located in Newark, Delaware.{{cite web|url=https://www.gdata-software.com/about-g-data/contact|title=About G Data|date=26 June 2020 |access-date=22 May 2021}}

History

File:G Data Software logo.svg

= Antivirus Programs & Cyber Security (1985–2006) =

File:Ribbon cuting G Data.jpg]]

G Data was founded in Bochum, Germany, in 1985. The company introduced its first computer security product Anti-Virus Kit (AVK) in 1988 for Atari ST.{{cite magazine |last=Mortimer|first=Stephen |date=May 1990 |title=News, Notes & Quotes: Stay Virus Free|magazine=START |publisher=Antic Publishing|issn=0889-6216|volume=4|number=10|pages=20}}

In 1990, this program was given a graphical user interface for MS-DOS for the first time. In 1993, G Data developed the software GeoRoute, the first route planner with intelligent mapping. Beside focus on the security market, G Data also created software for voice recognition (Invox){{cite news |date=30 September 1997 |title=Spracherkennung |url=https://www.neues-deutschland.de/artikel/679798.spracherkennung.html |newspaper=Neues Deutschland |language=de|access-date=14 June 2017 }} and speech synthesis (Logox).{{cite news |last=Freisberg |first=Alexander |date=30 May 2002 |title=Sprach-Software wird zur wichtigsten Schnittstelle |url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/archiv/der-rechner-kann-fast-schon-gefuehlvoll-reden-sprach-software-wird-zur-wichtigsten-schnittstelle/2170186.html |newspaper=Handelsblatt |language=de|access-date=14 June 2017 }}

The antivirus program was continuously developed: in 1995, the first antivirus hardware protection was added, followed by CloudSecurity in 2005.{{cite web |url=https://www.brandeins.de/magazine/brand-eins-thema/it-dienstleister-2020/sicher-ist-nur-die-unsicherheit |title=Security is the Only Certainty |work=Brandeins.de |access-date=2021-08-04}} In November 2000, the company was converted into a joint-stock company, and the company fully focused its portfolio on computer security.{{cite web |url=https://www.unternehmensregister.de/ureg/ |title=Company Register |work=unternehmensregister.de |access-date=2021-08-13}}

In the 2000s, the company expanded significantly, entering markets in various countries and opening a Japanese branch in Tokyo in 2004.

= Cyber Security for Private Users and Companies (2006–present) =

In 2007, G Data had around 100 employees.{{Cite web |author=Ulf Meinke |url=https://www.derwesten.de/wirtschaft/die-virenjaeger-aus-dem-revier-id3220841.html |title=The Virus Hunters from the Ruhr Area |date=2010-07-11 |language=de |access-date=2021-08-13}} In 2008 and 2009, Brazil and Mexico were added, as well as the USA, Canada, and Russia. In 2009, G Data made around 25 million euros in revenue, and by the summer of 2010, the company had about 300 employees. In 2010, G Data opened a branch in Italy, followed by branches in France, the Netherlands, and Belgium in 2011.

By 2015, the company had about 500 employees and its security solutions were available in 90 countries worldwide.{{Cite web |author=G. DATA CyberDefense AG |url=https://www.gdata.de/business/managed-endpoint-security |title=IT Security as a Managed Service – Powered by Microsoft Azure |work=gdata.de |date=2021-02-17 |language=de |access-date=2021-08-13}} Since that year, G Data has been an exclusive launch partner of the Microsoft Cloud in Germany, which has been available in Germany since mid-2016.

In September 2015, G Data launched a new messaging app called Secure Chat which used the Signal Protocol.{{cite web |url=http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/g-data-adds-encryption-for-secure/ |title=G DATA Adds Encryption for Secure Mobile Chat |last=Seals |first=Tara |work=Infosecurity Magazine |publisher=Reed Exhibitions Ltd. |date=17 September 2015 |access-date=14 July 2016}} The application was based on a fork of Signal and its source code was published under the GPLv3 license.{{cite web|title=SecureChat|url=https://github.com/GDATASoftwareAG/SecureChat|website=GitHub|publisher=G Data|access-date=14 July 2016}} G Data discontinued the service in May 2018.{{cite web |title=G DATA Secure Chat wird eingestellt |url=https://www.gdata.de/support/faq/consumer/g-data-secure-chat-wird-eingestellt |publisher=G DATA Software AG. |access-date=26 April 2019 |language=de |date=18 May 2018 |archive-date=26 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426093244/https://www.gdata.de/support/faq/consumer/g-data-secure-chat-wird-eingestellt |url-status=dead }}

In September 2019, the annual general meeting decided to change the name from G DATA Software AG to G DATA CyberDefense AG.{{Cite web |url=https://www.online-handelsregister.de/handelsregisterauszug/nw/Bochum/G/G+DATA+Software+AG/658034 |title=G DATA Software AG |work=online-handelsregister.de |access-date=2019-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016090901/https://www.online-handelsregister.de/handelsregisterauszug/nw/Bochum/G/G+DATA+Software+AG/658034 |archive-date=2019-10-16 }}

In 2021, G Data received the European Cyber Security Organization seal of quality “Cybersecurity Made in Europe”. G Data is a member of Eurobits{{Cite web |url=https://ecs-org.eu/working-groups/cybersecurity-made-in-europe |title=ECSO – European Cyber Security Organisation |access-date=2021-08-13}} and the Federal IT Security Association TeleTrusT.

In 2022, G Data was awarded the Comenius EduMedia seal{{Cite web |url=https://comenius-award.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/COM-22-Pressemteilung.pdf |title=27. Comenius-EduMedia-Award für digitale Bildungsmedien |access-date=2022-07-30}} and the eco://award.{{Cite web |url=https://www.eco.de/eco-award/nominierte-2021/ |title=Unsere Gewinner 2021 |access-date=2022-07-30}}