UK government cannot protect businesses and services from cyber attacks, IT pros say

Date:
Mon, 22 Apr 2024 12:30:00 +0000

Description:
They feel the threats are on the rise and are particularly wary of Russia.

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UK businesses are rapidly losing confidence in the governments ability to protect them from cyberattacks . This is according to a new report from cybersecurity researchers Armis, which states that the lack of faith is
higher than anywhere else in Europe.

To draft the report, Armis surveyed more than 2,600 global security and IT decision-makers, and included proprietary data from Armins Labs.

In the paper, the company said that more than half (52%) of UK IT leaders believe the government cant defend its citizens and enterprises from cyberwarfare, down from last year, when 77% thought otherwise. Attacks rising

To put things in perspective, in Germany, 40% of IT pros dont trust their governments, while in France, 42% said the same.

At the same time, threats are on the rise. Global events, including the war
in Ukraine and the Middle East, tensions between China and Taiwan, US presidential elections, and the UK elections set to take place before the end of the year, are all turning the internet into a full-blown battlefield, and UK companies are on the front lines, the surveys respondents believe.

Almost half (46%) of those surveyed in the UK said geopolitical tensions created a greater threat of cyberwarfare, and 45% added that Russia is a bigger threat than China. Furthermore, 50% believe North Korea is capable of triggering a full-scale cyberware that could cripple critical infrastructure all over the world.

Even without further escalation, UK businesses are suffering. Almost half (43%) experienced either one or two breaches in the last year. More than half (54%) experienced the same threat levels throughout the year, while 18% saw
an increase.

Organizations in the utilities sector, as well as those in medical, healthcare, and pharmaceutical, have seen a dramatic rise in threats over the last 12 months, 37% and 42% respectively. Only a quarter have a plan on how
to mitigate such threats.

The IT industry's overwhelming sentiment that the government will be unable
to keep citizens safe and the country secure underscores a critical shortfall in defensive measures to date, said David Critchley, Regional Director, UK & Ireland, Armis.

In this pivotal election year, it's imperative for the government and organizations to proactively rebuild national confidence by enhancing defensive cybersecurity strategies, coming together where they can to
maximize forward strides. A robust investment in cybersecurity, coupled with the deployment of AI-driven tech, is our best chance to shield society from the threat of cyberwarfare," Critchley said. More from TechRadar Pro Russian hacker group exploits Microsoft Windows feature in worldwide phishing attack Here's a list of the best firewalls around today These are the best endpoint security tools right now



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/uk-government-cannot-protect-businesses -and-services-from-cyber-attacks-it-pros-say


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