Cyber attacks increasing in the UK.
Last year the cost of cyber security breaches to companies within the UK tripled to an estimated cost of £27 billion. Despite the potential danger, only 20% of PLC companies have put measures in place to protect against these attacks. Many believe that it “won’t happen to us” or do not fully appreciate the consequences and ramifications.
Currently there is a skills shortage of IT specialists capable of protecting the on-line data of UK industries. Companies such as BAE Systems are developing a graduates program while others are seeking to attract students to take an interest in this area. The government has also encouraged companies to disclose information regarding recent incidents so there is shared pool of information and a co-ordinated response. Even with these efforts there is still reluctance to admit intrusions due to the perceived impact it has on corporate reputations.
The business department has published a “ten steps” document as a guide for companies to address these issues. Recent surveys suggest that only one in eight had acted upon its recommendations with many saying they would only act if they were directly threatened (too little too late) or it had happened to a peer in their industry.
A lot of publicity has been generated by the virtual bank heist conducted earlier this year by a gang using laptops or the spate of infiltrations of trophy titles such as twitter and Facebook, Yet small to medium size businesses are not necessarily safe just because they think they lie below the radar. Many businesses have the most basic protection or have to outsource these specialities and are reliant on 3rd parties to keep up with the changes.
There are some simple steps to protect your on-line presence with these simple steps: read our article on Better Server Security
