Member Article

Despite NHS attacks, London businesses more likely to carry out a fire drill than cybersecurity test

Last month’s catastrophic cyberattack which brought large swathes of the NHS to a standstill and crippled businesses across the world grabbed headlines and highlighted the very real threat posed by hackers and other nefarious individuals armed with the latest malicious software.

Fuelled by the WannaCry ransomware worm, the blanket attack proved particularly concerning considering its spread could have been prevented with a few straightforward and rudimentary cybersecurity protections.

Proof, if anymore were needed, that many businesses are still not taking their cybersecurity obligations seriously.

Now a new study by Firebrand Training has found that London businesses are just as complacent as ever when it comes to cybersecurity, with the perception of risk still lagging behind reality.

According to Fireband’s survey, which canvassed more than 500 business training decisions makers and HR professionals, businesses in the capital carry out routine fire drills twice as often as cyber drills despite being 125 times more likely to face a cyber breach than a fire.

Similarly, more than a third (38%) of those businesses surveyed think that cybercrime is not a particular threat to their business despite Government research which has shown that almost half (46%) of UK businesses suffered a security breach within the last year.

Firebrand’s Co-Founder, Robert Chapman, said that he was surprised by how proactive some businesses were being with their cybersecurity obligations but warned that most were not testing their systems often enough.

He commented: “In some ways we were surprised by the proactivity of the capital’s businesses in terms of prevention, but we were also surprised that 20 per cent of businesses only complete cyber drills once a year.

“Cyber crime is constantly evolving. If you’re testing your systems once a year, and patching up breaches with new safeguards, but then leaving this for another 12 months you’re incredibly vulnerable, as we’ve seen with the NHS attacks. It’s like expecting cling-film to be an effective material for dam building.”

The issue of cybersecurity and protecting your business was our Editor Jamie Hardesty’s Question of the Month in April. Take a look at some of his simple tips to help you firm up cybersecurity at your business.