86% of UK businesses expect cyber attacks to increase in next 12 months, survey says

In a survey of UK cyber security, IT and business professionals, 86% of businesses expect cyber threats to increase over the next 12 months. 

The survey, commissioned by WatchGuard Technologies, also reveals that 44% of organisations have experienced a cyber attack over the last year – and alarmingly, another 11% either didn’t know, or were unsure whether they had been targeted.

With the huge surge of remote workers, IT teams are under severe pressure to make sure their systems are safe from attack. 

The survey run in partnership with SC Media UK highlights what UK businesses think are the major cyber threats to their business and investigates if they have the necessary solutions, skills and support in place to protect against cyber attacks.

Phishing attacks are regarded as the greatest cyber threat to businesses, followed by authentication attacks and stolen credentials. When it comes to facing up to these challenges, security professionals say that time and budget constraints pose the biggest impact on how they can protect their businesses. 

“The current uncertain and challenging economic and geopolitical climate combined with the massive disruption to traditional working practises, means cyber criminals are finding new and more inventive ways to attack both businesses and individuals when they are at their most vulnerable,” said Jon-Marc Wilkinson, Sales Director UK & Ireland at WatchGuard Technologies.

“If a business has not experienced a cyber attack in the last 12 months, this survey indicates that the majority of respondents are expecting cyber security threats to increase over the next year. More than ever, companies of all sizes need enterprise-grade network and endpoint security that is simple to deploy and manage but is also affordable.”