Businesses urged to boost cyber security

The government is urging businesses to strengthen their cyber security as new figures show the frequency of cyber attacks is increasing.

The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022 report from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport shows that the frequency of cyber attacks is rising, but the number of businesses that experienced an attack or breach remained the same as 2021 levels. The reports shows 39% of businesses reported cyber security breaches or attacks in the past 12 months.

The report also finds that 40% of businesses are using at least one managed service provider, but only 13% of businesses reviewed the risks posed by immediate suppliers.

The government advises that Small businesses should adopt the Cyber Essentials scheme to protect against the most common cyber threats, such as phishing attacks and use the Small Business Guide to improve cyber security practices.

Cyber Minister, Julia Lopez, said: “It is vital that every organisation take cyber security seriously as more and more business is done online and we live in a time of increasing cyber risk.

“No matter how big or small your organisation is, you need to take steps to improve digital resilience now and follow the free government advice to help keep us all safe online.”