Half Of British SMEs Have Been Attacked

Uploaded on 2023-02-27 in NEWS-Cybersecurity News, FREE TO VIEW

Over half of UK SMEs (54%) have experienced some form of cyber-attack in recent months a new report by Vodafone Business has found.

Cyber attacks against small and medium businesses soared by 15% during 2022, because cyber criminals have identified SMEs as potentially vulnerable because of new working practices, small IT teams and a lack of solutions knowledge.

The research has been published in a new report from Vodafone which polled over 500 small and medium business owners across the UK and found that more than half (54%) had experienced some form of cyber-attack in the previous 12 months. This compares to similar research by Vodafone in 2020, which found 39% of SMEs had experienced some form of cyber attack.

The previous research indicated a rising risk for SMEs at a time when more people work remotely and many businesses depend on digital technology. Vodafone’s study also found that one third (33%) of SMEs had seen the number of attempted cyber-attacks against their business increase, whilst just 18% had seen the number go down.

Almost 20% of SMEs said that an average cyber attack could cost their business up to £4,200, a loss they would be unlikely to recover from.

The rise in online attacks comes as the British Office for National Statistics reported that more than a third of businesses in the UK now use a hybrid working model. The UK National Cyber Strategy 2022 has also stated that a growing dependence on digital technologies for remote working and online transactions has increased the risks.

Since Vodafone last examined the cyber security risks facing SMEs in 2020, the invasion of Ukraine and continuing geopolitical tensions have had an adverse effect on the cybersecurity landscape, prompting the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to warn that: “now is not the time for complacency.”

To ensure that more SMEs are protected from online attacks, Vodafone is calling on the Government to do more to raise awareness of current initiatives to support the delivery of local cyber security skills. This should include providing the required funding to run a targeted ‘Cyber Safe’ awareness campaign for SMEs.

Vodafone: Vodafone: ONS Gov.uk: SMEToday: Derby Telegraph: Close Asstet Finance: Technology:

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