11 January 2022

According to BCC, British firms are becoming increasingly worried about cyberattacks due to the increase of remote working during the pandemic.

Drawn from a survey of almost 1,000 UK firms, of various sectors and sizes, British Chambers of Commerce has concluded that over half of these firms believe that their systems are more exposed to attack due to a surge in people working from home due to the pandemic.

In association with IT company, Cisco, BCC’s research also revealed that one in 10 firms have been the victim of a cyber-attack in the last year. For larger firms with more than 50 employees, this figure rises to one in 7.

However, it is important to note that four out of five firms confirmed that they did not have accredited cyber-security measures in place at the time of the attacks to protect their systems.

In response to the findings, Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the BCC, said:

“The huge shift to home working, and the use of cloud computing, for tens of thousands of employees happened almost overnight, so it is not surprising that many firms were caught out by the implications this had for their cyber-security arrangements.”

“All of the BCC’s research indicates that a shift to a more hybrid way of working, with many staff now splitting their time between the office and home, is here to stay, so it is more vital than ever that firms have the right cyber-security protections in place.”

“With one in 10 firms confirming they have come under attack in the last year, the need to take action now could not be more important.”

Aine Rogers, Head of Small Business, Cisco UK & Ireland, said:

“The lines between professional and personal are more blurred than ever. Organisations are no longer just protecting an ‘office’ but a workforce at the kitchen table.”

“As businesses and individuals, we’re more exposed than ever to security threats. Whether it’s fraudulent SMS campaigns, posing to be a delivery company, targeted social engineering to access the passwords for your customer database, or hacking your home network, criminals in the cyber world are cunning.”

“That’s why we need to evolve thinking to focus on securing your employees and what they are doing, not where they are.”

 

Read the full article here.