Charities from around the UK have faced an average of five cyber-attacks in the past 12 months, new research has revealed.

The data, published in a new report, Under Attack: Assessing the struggle of UK SMBs against cyber criminals, commissioned by online encryption specialists Appstractor Corporation and compiled by Sapio Research, revealed 80 per cent of charities have been attached between four and 10 times in the last year.

The study further found that 43 per cent of companies hadn’t upgraded their cyber security policy in the past year, despite the number of attacks faced.

Commenting on the report, Appstractor Corporation CEO, Paul Rosenthal said: “It’s clear from these findings that a lack of sophisticated cyber solutions, security policies and staff training are significantly hindering UK charities.

“Businesses in all sectors and of any size have become a target for cyber criminals, and the lack of training and responses to breaches is of particular concern, especially as new threats and methods of attack are constantly being developed.

“The cost of a cyber breach goes far beyond just the financial impact, even after GDPR – charities risk damaging their reputation and good work by not deploying the proper protection.

“With data breaches taking place on an almost daily occurrence, it’s more important than ever that charities focus on their cyber security measures and take the necessary steps to protect themselves against cyber criminals.”

To see the full "Under Attack: Assessing the struggle of UK SMBs against cyber criminals" report, click here.

Share Story: