Four in 10 UK businesses hit by cyber attack or breach in the last year

The number of businesses reporting a cybersecurity breach or attack in the last 12 months has fallen slightly compared with the previous year, according to government figures.

The annual Cyber Security Breaches Survey found that 43% of businesses and 30% of charities had experienced a breach or attack in the last year, which for businesses was down from 50% last year.

The report said the decrease was down to fewer small businesses reporting attacks, but warned that the prevalence of breaches among medium and large businesses remained high.

According to the figures, it was estimated that the average cost of the most disruptive breach for each business in the last 12 months was £1,600 for businesses and £3,240 for charities.

Cyber attacks on businesses and infrastructure have become increasingly common, and the Government has unveiled plans to introduce new legislation – the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill – designed to compel firms to beef up their cyber defences and better protect the UK from the growing threat.

Last year, the government also announced the designation of UK data centres as critical national infrastructure, meaning that in the event of a major incident, including a cyber attack, they will receive the same level of government support as utilities such as water and energy.