According to a study by Circle Research, the vast majority of UK businesses have experienced an increase in cyber-attacks over the past year.
Those polled for this study include Heads of Security, CTOs, CIOs, IT Directors & IT Analysts. According to these senior cyber security professionals, 78% said they have been attacked, and 64% claim they experienced a cyber incident in 2015.
In addition, 42% said they experienced more than one cyber incident in 2015, with an outlier of 13% claiming they experienced more than ten security related incidents last year.
Respondents agreed unanimously that these threats are growing due in part to the increased availability of attack software coupled with the growing sophistication in approaches used by cyber criminals. For UK businesses, this means that in order to keep consumer data safe, they must continuously update their approach to cyber security.
Phishing (57%), Trojans (32%), Patch Exploitation (26%), and DDoS Attacks (21%) were they four main threats facing UK businesses today, with nearly a quarter of participants claiming they may have lost customer data due in part to these threats. The cleanup associated with a data breach is said to cost an average of £1.46 million for big businesses in the UK.
While external threats are making companies feel particularly vulnerability, they need not forget that insider threats are often times the weakest link in businesses’ security systems. “Intentional or not, the very people working for a business can pose the biggest threat to its security and the security of customer data.”
The good news? These security professionals have a plan to fight these threats! Roughly 50% of participants advocate increasing staff training and 20% recommend an internal policy of increased awareness. This will help businesses ensure consumers that their data is safe by regularly updating as today's threats evolve and develop rapidly in sophistication.
As businesses continue to experience security incidents at a constantly increasing rate, it’s more important than ever for these companies to introduce threat intelligence solutions into their IT environment to help defend against a cyber-attack. With NNT’s Change Tracker Gen7, you’ll be provided with an all in one Security & Compliance solution that’s easiest to use, most fully featured, and most affordable. You’ll be equipped with Real-Time File Integrity Monitoring, System Hardening & Vulnerability Management, Continuous Compliance, and Breach Detection solutions to help protect your IT estate.
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