Three-quarters of companies feel protected from cyber attacks

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) feel more prepared when it comes to cyber security with 86 per cent of them feeling that they are doing enough to provide adequate protection against cyber attacks, according to new data.

The data from Juniper Research – which surveyed 200 companies – also shows that despite increased spend amongst SMEs for online security purposes, 27 per cent of them feel secure because they are too small to attract much interest from seasoned cyber criminals looking for large amounts of information.

With an increasing number of businesses moving their infrastructure online using cloud-based systems to do so, the threat of a cyber attack is increased dramatically. At least 33 per cent of respondents felt that the IT department was responsible for their online security. Nearly 90 per cent of respondents stated that they had a call-to-action if a security breach did occur. 

Windsor Holden, Head of Forecasting & Consultancy at Juniper Research, said: “Cyber security is a big concern for businesses of all sizes, as an attack could cost millions of pounds in lost data, reputation, time and customers.

“Yet, our study shows that businesses believe they are far more secure than they really are. While no business can be completely safe nowadays, there are steps that companies can take to ensure they are as safe as possible, and can recover as quickly as possible in the event of a cyber attack.” 

Juniper’s survey also found that while most British companies are prepared for a cyber attack, these preparations are not consistent.

In related news, a new national cyber security centre (NCSC), will become the leading think-tank for online security in Britain. 

Ciaran Martin the CEO of NCSC, said: “The great majority of cyber attacks are not terribly sophisticated. They can be defended against, and if they get through, their impact can be contained. Far too many of these basic attacks are getting through. They are doing a lot of damage.

“Something is not quite working yet in the marketplace in terms of cyber security. There are great companies, great people, there’s great innovation, and barriers to information sharing are being broken down. Given the record of the past few years, it’s hard to say that we’ve got ahead of the threat.”

SMEs face an increasing threat from cyber attacks. Bring your own device (BYOD) culture, along with advanced external threats are all contributing to the changing nature of what a cyber threat is and where it can come from.