UK businesses faced 230,000 cyber attacks each in 2016

A new analysis by Beaming reports that the volume of attacks hitting individual company firewalls passed the 1,000 per day mark, on average, for the first time in November 2016. This indicated a 310 per cent increase in the volume of attacks seeking out Internet of Things devices between the first and final quarters of 2016.

Cyber criminals shifted their focus to connected devices such as networked security cameras and building control systems that can be controlled remotely over the internet.

Sonia Blizzard, MD of Beaming, comments,

‘As an ISP, we can see what is happening on the internet and take steps to help businesses protect themselves and those they do business with. There are many more elements involved in cyber crime than a year ago. They are launching more sophisticated attacks on UK businesses and covering their tracks carefully.’

The majority of internet cyber attacks are computer scripts that search the web for weaknesses and probe firewalls constantly for a way in. With the Internet of Things, businesses are punching holes in their own firewalls to provide suppliers with access to devices on their networks. This can open the door to criminals too if not done properly.

Blizzard advised companies to regularly review their firewall policies to ensure they are as restrictive as possible and prioritise security over convenience.

She concluded, ‘The cyber threat is real and it is growing. Any business that is connected to the internet needs to take responsibility for cyber security at board level and ensure they are doing everything they can to ensure they don’t expose their people, assets, customers and business partners to greater risk. A modest investment in next generation firewalls, unified threat management devices and intrusion detection makes a lot of sense for most businesses today.’