The number of cyber attacks targeting UK-based businesses increased by more than half in the second quarter of 2017, according to a new report from Beaming. Firms were, on average, subjected to almost 65,000 internet-borne cyber attacks each in the three months to June, an increase of 52 per cent on the first quarter of 2017.
While two-thirds (68 per cent) of attacks hitting corporate firewalls had targeted connected devices such as networked security cameras and building control systems, there was a substantial increase in attacks on company databases. On average, each UK business experienced 105 attempts to take control of their database applications per day in the second quarter of 2017, compared to just 14 in the first three months of the year.
Sonia Blizzard, managing director of Beaming, comments, ‘Major organisations have been brought to their knees to by global cyber attacks and our research shows the likes of Wannacry are just the tip of the iceberg. UK businesses were targeted more than 700 times each on a daily basis by hackers over the last three months, who focused on hijacking connected devices and databases.
‘The majority of cyber attacks are automated computer scripts that search the web for weaknesses and attack company firewalls constantly looking for vulnerabilities. Businesses need to keep these vital defences up-to-date, prioritise security over convenience and ensure employees understand both the evolving threat and their cyber security responsibilities.’
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