Put to the PROBE: Fraunhofer FKIE Invites Organizations in Germany to Take a Free Security Test

On average, 119 new vulnerabilities are disclosed worldwide every day; cyberattacks cause billions in damages annually—and attackers are increasingly using semi-autonomous AI systems that carry out attacks on their own. The Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE is therefore launching the PROBE pilot study and inviting organizations based in Germany to have their publicly accessible systems put to the test – free of charge, based on sound scientific principles, and with concrete recommendations for action.

PROBE stands for “Pilot Study on Risk Analysis of Online-Exposed Businesses and Institutions.” In cooperation with the Alliance for Cyber Security (ACS), an initiative of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) together with Bitkom, the “Cyber Analysis & Defense” department at Fraunhofer FKIE actively tests the internet-facing systems of companies, municipalities, hospitals, and other institutions for vulnerabilities and security gaps. Only the scope agreed upon in advance is tested, and participating organizations can stop the assessment at any time. Interested organizations can express their interest without obligation by November 15, 2026. Since the number of places is limited, the project team will make a selection and contact all interested parties by the end of November.

Cyberattacks on IT Infrastructure

According to the BSI’s report on the state of IT security in Germany in 2025, an average of 119 new vulnerabilities were disclosed worldwide each day between July 2024 and June 2025. For many organizations, these vulnerabilities have serious consequences: Approximately 81 percent of German small and medium-sized enterprises affected by cyber incidents cite their own IT infrastructure as the most common point of entry for attacks (Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report 2025). For the BSI, protecting these attack surfaces is the key lever for improving cybersecurity in 2026. However, many organizations lack the personnel and technical resources to regularly and independently check their publicly accessible systems for potential risks. The consequences of successful attacks are significant: “Even a single successful cyberattack can quickly cost an organization six- or seven-figure sums,” explains Dr. Jan-Niclas Hilgert from the Cyber Analysis & Defense department.

AI as a Threat and a Tool

Furthermore, the use of AI-powered and semi-autonomous attack tools exacerbates the situation. Publicly documented cases show that such systems have already been used to automatically carry out attacks. Therefore, PROBE supports participating organizations in identifying potential risks to their external attack surface at an early stage.

At the same time, PROBE examines the responsible use of agentic AI in cybersecurity analysis through practical application. The AI performs clearly defined analytical steps and is continuously supervised, reviewed, and validated by experts from Fraunhofer FKIE.

“An independent assessment of an organization’s own external attack surface provides valuable insights—regardless of its current security level. With PROBE, we aim to help identify vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them,” explains Hilgert.

Benefits for Participating Organizations

  • Free participation in a scientifically independent study
  • Confidential, individual report with specific recommendations for action
  • Contribution to a scientific picture of the cybersecurity situation in Germany (all results are included in the overall analysis in anonymized form)

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