Survey: 36% of SMEs in East England Are at Risk Of Cyber Attacks

April 19, 2022 Fatimah Eniafe

Communications giant BT has warned that thousands of firms in the East of England are open to to cyber attacks.

In a survey carried out by the network provider with 1,000 firms, it was deduced that some small companies are relying on security products not designed for business use. The head of SoHo (Single Office/Home Office) unit at BT, Chris Sims, said there has been a surge in small businesses that operate online over the last two years.

While the development is welcome, this opens these SMEs to cyber attacks. Sims reiterated that these companies rely on cyber security tailored for personal use and for businesses.

This tier of IT security can protect users while surfing the web, accessing emails and for other personal advantages and is not built for running small scale businesses that need more robust protection.

More than 36% Opened to Cyber Attacks

The study suggests that 36% of small and medium-sized enterprises in the East of England fall under the list of firms that rely on limited IT security. As a result of this trend, another survey by the revealed that nearly half of SMEs in the UK have suffered a data breach in the last year.

It was also discovered that more cyber criminals are stepping up their efforts in exploiting this vulnerability. This means that thousands of small firms will experience a form of cyber attack over the next 12 months.

It was previously reported that the UK government was the target of NSO group spyware. The attacks came from users based in the UAE, India and Jordan. Citizen Lab confirmed several cyberattacks on the residence of British Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson and the United Kingdom’s (UK) Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The affected sectors were not disclosed in the report, but Citizen Lab alleged it briefed the UK Government on the affected networks.

More than 36% Opened to Cyber Attacks

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