The continued rise in cyber-attacks across UK businesses is a timely reminder of just how disruptive and potentially costly, a cybersecurity incident can be for an organisation. In addition to the operational disruption and resulting reputational damage, regulatory fines may also be issued where it is established that a business has failed to take adequate steps to prevent these incidents and protect its data.
Cybersecurity breaches are not limited to headline-grabbing events. A 2025 survey found that six in ten organisations now view cyber breaches as one of their most significant risks. In the UK, two in ten businesses reported experiencing a cybersecurity breach or attack in the past two years and many business leaders remain uncertain about their organisation’s ability to manage these threats effectively.
Although large organisations often feature in press reports, smaller businesses are frequently easier targets, as they typically do not have the same robust security measures in place. In 2026, 58% of UK business leaders ranked cyber breaches as a top business risk, yet many report lacking confidence in their organisation’s ability to respond effectively.
In a landscape where cybercriminals’ methods are constantly evolving, businesses can take key steps to stay protected and to deal swiftly with and mitigate the impact of any potential incident, for example:
- Security measures such as multi-factor authentication, encryption and implementing automatic updates, including applying security patches promptly upon release. These low-cost protections are often overlooked in favour of more advanced measures. The Information Commissioner's Office continues to emphasise that encryption is strongly recommended when transferring data via removable media, sending personal data by email, storing data on mobile devices and using cloud services.
- Enhancing monitoring against unauthorised account access or use, including looking for suspicious activity or unusual behaviour.
- Reviewing helpdesk password reset processes, including how the helpdesk authenticates staff credentials before resetting passwords, especially those with escalated privileges and reminding staff of the information they may be asked to provide.
- Carrying out regular cybersecurity risk assessments and audits and, where possible, network penetration testing. As technology evolves rapidly, these measures help ensure vulnerabilities are identified and mitigated.
- Segmentation or segregation of networks where possible to ensure that, should malicious access occur, the incident can be isolated and operations restored promptly.
- Ensuring business continuity plans are regularly reviewed, updated and tested to ensure they reflect current operational realities. Outdated plans may leave organisations unprepared during a real incident.
- Obtaining cyber insurance coverage. Costs are rising, but proper coverage can be invaluable in covering the financial impact of an attack and may also meet customer or partner requirements. Knowing your data to ensure the organisation understands what information is held, where it is stored and the potential exposure to cybercriminals.
- Continuously backing up data to secure locations so it can be retrieved in the event of system compromise.
- Knowing your contracts, as many agreements impose liability where operations are affected by cyber incidents. Understanding contractual obligations and liabilities is key to minimising risk.
- Ensuring adequate staffing levels, particularly during holiday periods, as cybercriminals often exploit periods of reduced oversight to gain access to systems.
- Training staff on password security and common tactics used by cybercriminals, such as phishing, smishing and social engineering and ensuring they know the internal procedures to follow in the event of a cyber incident.
While there is no way to eliminate cyber risk entirely, being proactive can significantly reduce your organisation’s exposure and demonstrate to regulators, partners and customers that you take data protection and operational resilience seriously. With cyber breaches now ranked among the top business risks for 2026, entities that invest in basic protective measures, ongoing monitoring, staff training and robust governance are better placed to withstand and recover from incidents when they occur.
This article was co-authored by Nina Wright, Trainee Solicitor in our Commercial team.
