British businesses are rapidly losing confidence in the government’s ability to protect them from cyber attacks. This is evident from a new report by cybersecurity researcher Armis, which states that the lack of trust is greater than anywhere else in Europe.
To create the report, Armis surveyed more than 2,600 global security and IT decision makers using proprietary data from Armins Labs.
In the paper, the company said that more than half (52%) of UK IT leaders believe the government cannot protect its citizens and businesses from cyber warfare, compared to last year when 77% felt differently.
Attacks increase
To put things into perspective, in Germany 40% of IT professionals don’t trust their governments, while in France 42% say the same.
At the same time, threats are increasing. Global events, including the war in Ukraine and the Middle East, tensions between China and Taiwan, the US presidential election and the British election that will take place before the end of the year, are all turning the Internet into a full-blown battlefield. and British businesses are on the front line, survey respondents believe.
Nearly half (46%) of respondents in Britain said geopolitical tensions were creating a greater threat of cyber warfare, with 45% adding that Russia is a greater threat than China. Additionally, 50% believe North Korea is capable of launching a “full-scale cyberware” that could cripple critical infrastructure around the world.
Even without further escalation, British businesses are suffering. Nearly half (43%) have experienced one or two breaches in the past year. More than half (54%) experienced the same threat levels throughout the year, while 18% saw an increase.
Organizations in the utilities sector, as well as the medical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, have seen a ‘dramatic’ increase in threats over the past twelve months, 37% and 42% respectively. Only a quarter have a plan to mitigate such threats.
“The IT industry’s overwhelming sense that the government will be unable to keep citizens and the country safe underlines a critical lack of defensive measures to date,” said David Critchley, Regional Director, UK & Ireland, Armis .
“In this crucial election year, it is critical that government and organizations proactively rebuild national confidence by strengthening defensive cybersecurity strategies and working together where they can to maximize progress. A robust investment in cybersecurity, coupled with the deployment of AI-driven technology, is our best chance to protect society from the threat of cyberwar,” said Critchley.