New Study Exposes 'Security Chaos'

London (ots) -

- 'Cyber Security Report 2024/2025' by Horizon3.ai for the United Kingdom
- Cybersecurity Expert Keith Poyser sounds alarm over "Security Chaos in UK
Organisations": "Almost two-thirds of companies in the UK have been targeted
by hackers at least once in the past two years. Nearly half have experienced
two or more cyberattacks in that time. Shockingly, almost a quarter are
unaware if they've even been breached. The growing gap between the level of
threat and the protection in place is a serious concern for organisations
across the country."

70 percent of companies in the UK have fallen victim to a cyberattack at least
once in the past two years. This is according to the "Cyber Security Report UK
2024/25" by security firm Horizon3.ai.

For the report, a sample of 100 UK-based companies was surveyed. According to
the findings, 53 percent of companies reported a specific incident of damage. 16
percent detected a hacker attack but claimed to have successfully defended
against it. 23 percent of the companies contacted by Horizon3.ai were unsure
whether they had been the victim of a cyberattack in the past 24 months. Only 8
percent of companies stated, "We are certain that we were not attacked."

Nearly Half of Companies Targeted by Two or More Cyberattacks

Nearly half of the companies (44 percent) were targeted by a cyberattack twice
or more during the two-year period examined, according to the "Cyber Security
Report UK 2024/2025."

"The true extent of the issue is likely far greater," warns Keith Poyser, Vice
President for EMEA at cybersecurity firm Horizon3.ai, which conducted the study,
pointing to the near quarter of respondents unaware of any cyberattacks. He
continues, "With almost 20,000 new vulnerabilities in software identified by the
European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) in just one year, alongside the
increasing complexity of IT and network environments, many organisations have
lost sight of how vulnerable they truly are and how frequently they are
targeted. There are numerous instances where attackers have silently infiltrated
corporate networks for months, extracting sensitive data without being detected.
It's only when an attack disrupts operations or a ransom demand appears that
many companies become aware of the breach."

Downtime, Financial Losses, Legal Consequences, and Data Theft

According to the "Cyber Security Report DACH 2024/2025," 62 percent of the
surveyed organisations experienced downtime due to a cyberattack over the
two-year period examined. 42 percent (multiple answers were allowed) suffered
financial losses as a result. 15 percent faced legal consequences, while data