Survey reveals 86% of UK businesses expect cyber attacks to increase in next 12 months

Phishing attacks are regarded as the greatest cyber threat

15 July 2020: 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.”

The survey was run in partnership with SC Media UK https://www.scmagazineuk.com/.

To see the results, please view the infographic: The 2020 threat landscape – how prepared are you?

Additional Resources

WatchGuard Internet Security Report Q1 2020
https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-resource-center/security-report

WatchGuard DNSWatch
https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-products/security-services/dnswatch

WatchGuard DNSWatchGO
https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-products/dnswatchgo

Weak and Stolen Passwords
https://www.watchguard.com/wgrd-solutions/security-topics/weak-and-stolen-passwords

About WatchGuard Technologies
WatchGuard® Technologies, Inc. is a global leader in network security, secure Wi-Fi, multi-factor authentication, network intelligence and advanced endpoint protection. The company’s award-winning products and services are trusted around the world by nearly 10,000 security resellers and service providers to protect more than 80,000 customers. WatchGuard’s mission is to make enterprise-grade security accessible to companies of all types and sizes through simplicity, making WatchGuard an ideal solution for midmarket businesses and distributed enterprises. The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. To learn more, visit WatchGuard.com.

For additional information, promotions and updates, follow WatchGuard on Twitter @WatchGuard on Facebook or on the LinkedIn Company page. Also, visit our InfoSec blog, Secplicity, for real-time information about the latest threats and how to cope with them at www.secplicity.org. Subscribe to The 443 – Security Simplified podcast at Secplicity.org, or wherever you find your favourite podcasts.

WatchGuard is a registered trademark of WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. All other marks are property of their respective owners.

Media Contacts:
Peter Rennison / Laura Berrill, PRPR
01442 245030, pr@prpr.co.uk / laura@prpr.co.uk

Source: RealWire