The Department for Culture, Media and Sport recently published its “Cybersecurity Breaches Survey 2017” report.
The report identified the following: –
- 46% of UK Businesses identified Cybersecurity breaches or attacks in the last 12 months
- 23% had data loss, 10% had permanent loss
- 6% had money assets or IP stolen
It also shows that UK businesses are starting to wake up to the threat of Cyber-Crime, with 74% of UK companies reporting that Cyber Security is a high priority within their business. However, only 33% of UK companies alarmingly have formal policies covering security risks.
Whilst the report clearly shows UK companies are working towards protecting their business from cybercrime, it is arguable that they are moving a lot slower than the Cyber Criminals, who are staying ahead of the game.
The report also identified that breaches were often linked to human factors, yet less than 20% have had staff receive cybersecurity training.
Andrew Rosamond of CARA Technology said, “Cyber-Crime was very much the largest challenge our SME client base faced in 2016. However, it is not all bad news. Second-generation IT security software is surging ahead in terms of effectiveness, and Disaster Recovery Solutions are now very affordable to SMEs. The truth is SMEs need to be educated on the threat and the options to protect themselves.”
The report also states that technical controls are also important, with nine in ten businesses regularly updating their software and malware protections, configuring firewalls or securely backing up their data. However, only around two-thirds (69%) have guidance on acceptably strong passwords. Andrew Rosamond confirmed that “keeping on top of security updates needn’t be a challenge anymore, especially with managed service platforms providing this service at very little cost.”
The UK government certainly seems to be leading the field regarding the quality of advice and guidance they give to UK businesses. Further guidance on how companies can protect themselves can be found on the National Cyber Security Centre website and GOV.UK website.
Written by Andrew Rosamond of Cara Technology. Cara Technology is an IT Support and training business. Full details of all our services can be found on our website at www.cara.uk.com
