Two in five UK firms and over a quarter of charities have experienced cybersecurity breaches or attacks in the past year, according to figures from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2021 report says that the cyber risk to organisations is also heightened because of the pandemic, which has made securing digital environments more challenging.
The government is encouraging businesses, charities and educational institutions to follow the free help and guidance from the National Cyber Security Centre.
The government is investing £1.9 billion in the country’s National Cyber Security Strategy over five years to support the digital economy.
This includes delivering a programme to improve businesses cyber resilience, set high industry standards and provide organisations with expert advice and guidance.
Digital infrastructure minister Matt Warman said: “The pandemic has taken an unavoidable toll on British businesses, but we cannot let it disrupt our high cybersecurity standards.
“With more people working remotely, it is vital firms have the right protections in place, and I urge all organisations to follow the National Cyber Security Centre’s expert guidance so we can build back better and drive a new era of digital growth.”
