‘Cyber essentials’ are a must

A West Midlands IT firm has issued strong advice in the wake of a BBC Panorama report on ransomware attacks, like the one that crippled M&S earlier this year, being the most significant cyber threat currently facing UK businesses.

An estimated 19,000 ransomware attacks were carried out on UK businesses last year, resulting in millions of pounds of losses to organisations whose defences were breached, according to a government cyber-security survey.

Neil Bayliss, CEO of Birmingham-based Hubtel IT, whose clients include Black Country Women’s Aid, said: “With cyber-attacks, including debilitating ransomware attacks, increasing, there are simple steps you and your organisation can take to protect yourself against this threat, most notably getting set up with ‘cyber essentials’ – a suite of government-approved measures, which, rather like a steering wheel lock on your car, make it far more difficult for criminals.”

He added: “Doing nothing is not an option.”

While precise details are hard to come by, industry research suggests the typical UK ransom demand is about £4m and up to a third of companies agreed to pay up.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) told BBC Panorama it deals with a major ransomware attack every.

The NCSC aims “to make the UK the safest place to live and work online,” it told the BBC.

For more information on Hubtel IT’s ‘cyber essentials’ package, go to https://hubtelit.co.uk/it-services/cyber-essentials/