Data breaches are widespread among large businesses in the UK, according to a new report.
The Cyber Security Breaches Survey found that two-thirds of the biggest firms have experienced an attack of some kind over the past 12 months.
According to analysis of data, the threat is so rampant that 25% of large enterprises that have been hit with data breaches have been “breached at least once a month”.
The most common type attack for all firms was malware (68%), “impersonation of [the] organization” in emails or online (32%), denial of service attacks (15%) and access to networks, services or computers without permission (13%).
“The UK is a world-leading digital economy and this government has made cybersecurity a top priority,” said Ed Vaizey, the UK’s Minister for the Digital Economy.
“Too many firms are losing money, data and consumer confidence with the vast number of cyberattacks.”
“Too many firms are losing money, data and consumer confidence with the vast number of cyberattacks.”
He continued by saying that it’s vital that businesses do their utmost to secure and protect data.
It’s absolutely crucial businesses are secure and can protect data. As a minimum companies should take action by adopting the Cyber Essentials scheme which will help them protect themselves.
Worryingly, despite the clear threat posed by cybercriminals, many businesses still struggle to understand the particular risks they face.
The survey found that only 51% of all enterprises have made an effort to identify their distinct vulnerabilities.
This is concerning, given the financial implications of data breaches, especially for larger businesses.
“There is room for improvement across all businesses,” the authors of the paper stated.
“Most can still introduce cybersecurity policies or documentation to formalise their approaches.
“Significant minorities also still need to implement basic security controls or user-access controls on their organisation’s devices.”
