Almost one in five (18%) UK businesses are unprepared for a cyber-attack, with that figure rising to 23% of public sector organizations, according to new findings from Advanced.
The firm’s Advanced Trends Report 2017 reveals how organizations are coping with changes in the business and societal landscape, including risks surrounding cybersecurity threats.
Nearly a third (31%) of the 1000 UK professionals surveyed said they have “no confidence” in the ability of company leadership to create and run a modern digital infrastructure, with a quarter either “unsure or not confident” their organization will be ready for the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
What’s more, 36% claimed they do not have the right tools to do their job effectively in the digital era.
“WannaCry caused massive disruption in the public sector, perhaps unnecessarily after a new government report has found the NHS attack could have been avoided,” said Nick Wilson, managing director – public sector, health & care, Advanced. “But an alarming number of organizations are still ill-prepared six months on. In this digital era, it’s critical every single organization makes data security a top priority and indeed a deciding factor when adopting new technology.”
Tom Thackray, CBI director for innovation, added that without strengthened efforts to improve cybersecurity, the undoubted potential of the UK’s digital economy will be unfulfilled.
“Cyber resilience is increasingly important for all companies across the economy. They must continue to move from awareness to action, by ensuring cybersecurity is a board level priority and making the right investments for their digital future.”
Julian David, techUK’s CEO, echoed similar sentiments: “It’s no longer a question of whether or not your company will experience a cyber-attack, but rather when it will be attacked,” he warned. “That is why it is so important that cybersecurity is a top level priority for organizations, from the boardroom down. Organizations that priorities security can confidently adopt new technologies, from cloud to IoT to AI, which facilitate innovation and help them grow their businesses.”