04 May, 2021
Almost half (47%) of UK manufacturers have been the victim of cyber-crime during the past 12 months, as staff began working remotely after the Covid pandemic struck. According to a new report from the manufacturers’ organisation Make UK, cyber-criminals have been exploiting the emergency working measures, with almost a quarter (22%) of companies saying that each cyber-breach cost them up to £25,000, and 6% losing more than £100,000 after an attack. The automotive sector is the most common target, with 62% of companies in the sector reporting that they have suffered a cyber-attack in the past year.
More than half of UK manufacturers (59%) cite cost as being the biggest barrier to becoming more cyber-secure, followed by lack of awareness on 18%. One in eight say that the risk of cyber-attacks is deterring them from adopting digital technologies.
A lack of gender diversity remains a major issue in a number of industries, and cybersecurity certainly falls into that category. As well as reducing barriers to entry, cultivating an environment where women feel comfortable and want to work in the sector over the long-term is a crucial aspect of addressing the significant imbalance that currently exists between genders. This will enable more women to reach high level, influential roles in the industry, encouraging others to follow in their footsteps.
Infosecurity recently spoke to Lisa Ventura, founder and CEO, UK Cyber Security Association.
In what ways have you seen the impact and role women have in cybersecurity change since you first started working in the industry?
Citing Orange’s
Security Navigator 2021 report, Charl van der Walt, head of security research at Orange Cyberdefense, began by outlining some unexpected trends in regards to incidents detected in the early stages of the crisis. Comparing two countries that took differing approaches to dealing with COVID-19 infections, in the tightly locked down France, there was a decrease in confirmed cyber-incidents of 18%, whereas in Sweden, where there was a much lighter approach to social distancing taken, the number of incidents remained similar. This “inverse” effect may be explained by the reduction in economic activity in these early months. “There were fewer people busy, connected to the network, fewer computers online and less interaction,” noted van der Walt. Therefore, the predicted surge in attacks did not occur over this time.