with insurance and systems,” Abbott told BBC Radio 5 Live. He stressed that focusing on security, education, and contingency planning is crucial for maintaining business continuity.
Increasing Incidents and Their Impact
The NCSC’s data reveals an alarming trend: there has been a significant increase in the number of nationally significant cyber-attacks this year. Out of 429 incidents handled by the NCSC from January to September, nearly half (204) were categorized as “nationally significant.” This represents a 50% rise compared to the same period last year.
Among these incidents, 4% (18) were in the second highest category of “highly significant,” marking a 50% increase over the previous year. These high-impact attacks underscore the critical need for robust contingency planning and resilience engineering practices. While most cyber-attacks are financially motivated, with criminal gangs using ransomware or data extortion to extort victims, there has been a resurgence in teenage hacking groups based in English-speaking countries.
Government Support and Free Tools
In addition to the advice on contingency planning, the government is encouraging organizations to make better use of free tools and services offered by the NCSC. These include free cyber-insurance for small businesses that have completed the Cyber-Essentials programme. The NCSC is also working with businesses to improve their resilience against cyber-attacks through collaboration and the provision of essential resources.
The evolving landscape of cybersecurity demands a proactive approach from organizations.
As highlighted by the NCSC, the time to act is now. Companies must prioritize resilience engineering and ensure they have comprehensive plans in place to mitigate the impact of potential cyber-attacks.
