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UK.biz is still clueless at fending off malware attacks, says survey

Security is a custom ‘more honoured in the breach’

Two-thirds of large UK businesses were hit by a cyber breach or attack in the past year, according to a UK government-sponsored survey.

Nearly seven out of 10 attacks on all firms involved viruses, spyware or malware according to a poll of UK enterprises carried out as part of the Cyber Security Breaches Survey.

Following the government’s occasionally controversial Cyber Essentials scheme would have prevented the problems but a lack of adequate cyber security policies means organisations are still getting caught out.

Only one in 10 firms had an incident management plan in place – even though one in four large firms experiencing a breach did so at least once a month, according to the survey.

It’s a familiar story. In an attempt to push change, the government is making a record £1.9bn investment in cyber security over the next five years, with a new National Cyber Security Centre due to launch in autumn this year. The centre will offer industry a “one-stop-shop” for cyber security support.

Results from the survey are being released alongside the government’s Cyber Governance Health Check scheme, which was launched following the TalkTalk cyber attack. It found almost half of the top FTSE 350 businesses regarded cyber attacks as the biggest threat to their business when compared with other key risks – up from 29 per cent in 2014.

Minister for the Digital Economy Ed Vaizey said: “The UK is a world-leading digital economy and this Government has made cyber security a top priority. Too many firms are losing money, data and consumer confidence with the vast number of cyber attacks. 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.” ®

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