NCSC Chief Warns Of The Growing Complexity Of Cyberthreats
The importance of cybersecurity services has been highlighted by the chief of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), who has called for global partners to unite against the growing severity and complexity of cyberattacks. At our IT Solutions centre in Leeds, we offer a comprehensive range of the most up to date cybersecurity support.
At Singapore International Cyber Week, Dr Richard Horne, head of NCSC, said: “Increased dependence on technology is driving growth and transforming societies, creating exciting new opportunities. It also exposes us to greater cyber risks. Without collective action, we risk widening the gap between the escalating threats to our societies, critical services, and businesses, and our ability to defend and be resilient.”
“The threat landscape is growing more complex, with significant incidents on the rise. To close this gap, we need coordinated global efforts to strengthen cyber resilience, ensure security is built into technology from the outset, and prepare both the public and private sectors to not only defend but also recover swiftly from destructive cyber attacks.”
What does this heightened focus mean for businesses?
The growing sophistication of online cyber security threats means that small to medium businesses can no longer just rely on installing standard security patches to remain adequately protected.
A breach of cyber security is not merely an inconvenience that can be dealt with by the in-house IT team, particularly in smaller organisations where the IT infrastructure tends to be managed by an employee alongside another job role. Any data breach will have potentially serious consequences, from financial risk to damage to reputation, or even legal penalties.
Therefore it’s more important than ever to take a proactive approach when it comes to cybersecurity. The rapidly evolving nature of global digitisation means that it would be impossible to guard against every future cyberthreat, but it is crucial to ensure that your business IT infrastructure is as well protected as it can be.
What are the key cybersecurity strategies for business?
Businesses can maximise their cybersecurity by taking the following steps:
Regular software updates
One of the common reasons for a cybersecurity incident is vulnerabilities in out of date software that is exploited by attackers. It’s essential to ensure that your IT systems are regularly updated and patched to minimise the risk of hacking incidents.
Investing in advanced threat detection systems
Advanced monitoring systems will be able to detect issues before they escalate, allowing your organisation to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.
Furthermore, penetration testing and cyberattack simulation and web application testing will allow you to assess the robustness of your current IT infrastructure and make strategic upgrades where necessary.
Data backup and disaster recovery
It’s prudent to have a robust disaster recovery plan in place to enable business continuity in the event that the worst happens. Ideally, data should be regularly backed up and stored off-site at a dedicated data storage centre.
Employee training
Human error is one of the most common causes of data breaches. It’s essential to invest in staff training on IT security protocol, including phishing and password security awareness, and data protection.
New global guidelines are being drawn up
Dr Horne advised that the NCSC has already responded to 50 per cent more national level cyber security incidents in 2024 than during the whole of the previous year, as cyber capabilities increase at an unprecedented rate.
Dr Horne said: “The data confirms why global collaboration is more critical than ever. The Counter Ransomware Initiative is a perfect example of this, and I am very proud to work alongside our friends and hosts in Singapore to make it a success.”
“Last month, 39 nations and eight international insurance bodies endorsed guidelines for organisations navigating ransomware payments. This is a prime example of the progress we can achieve by working together, proving that cyberspace knows no boundaries.”
“Today’s innovation is tomorrow’s legacy. The innovative technologies we are building today will become the legacy technologies of tomorrow. We must adopt a lifecycle management approach to ensure they remain secure and resilient in the future.”
“This is a task that businesses and public services cannot tackle alone. Governments must step in to set the tone and guide the conversation.”
The NCSC and global partners continue to work together to develop and implement a future cybersecurity framework that is resilient enough to tackle the challenges of the 21st century digital landscape.
