{"id":2123,"date":"2020-09-03T08:54:18","date_gmt":"2020-09-03T07:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2123"},"modified":"2020-09-08T03:04:57","modified_gmt":"2020-09-08T02:04:57","slug":"cybercrime-in-the-uk-how-protected-are-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.uk\/blog\/cybercrime-in-the-uk-how-protected-are-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Cybercrime in the UK: How protected are you?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Technology is ever-evolving – with that, comes greater risk to businesses and society in the form of cybercrimes. If you\u2019re a business in the UK, you\u2019re likely wondering how these work, whether you\u2019re vulnerable to them, and what you can do to stay safe. This Pacific Prime UK<\/a> article provides you with an overview of cybercrime in the UK by looking at definitions, examples, risks, as well as precautionary measures.<\/p>\n

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\"Corporate<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n

A look into cybercrime in the UK<\/h2>\n

Cybercrime<\/strong> is a criminal activity that either targets or uses a computer, a computer network, or a networked device. It is a broad term that includes cyber attacks<\/strong>, which is an attempt to disable computers, compromise sensitive information in the form of a data breach<\/strong>, or to use an unsecured computer system to launch further attacks.<\/p>\n

Types of cybercrime<\/h3>\n

Malware<\/strong> occurs when malicious software, including viruses, ransomware, and spyware, are sent to the victim in the form of a link or file. It can result in significant damage to data and systems, or unauthorized access to a network.<\/p>\n

Denial-of-Service (DoS)<\/strong> attacks<\/strong> occur when a cyber criminal floods the victim\u2019s computer or network with traffic or information that causes a crash, so that employees or customers are not able to access the system.<\/p>\n

Phishing emails<\/strong> occur when a cyber criminal emails malicious attachments or URLs to the victim in order to gain control of their accounts or computer. Often, users are tricked into providing access.<\/p>\n

Identity theft<\/strong> occurs when a cyber criminal gains access to the victim\u2019s confidential information by finding out passwords through hacking, retrieving information through social media, sending phishing emails, and more.<\/p>\n

Risks of cybercrime<\/h3>\n

While the scale of cybercrime is often discussed in terms of financial loss, it is personal data that is more lucrative<\/a>, as found by independent think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Given the centrality of data and cloud computing, or using remote servers on the internet to store data, the risk of cybercrime is on the rise.<\/p>\n

According to reports<\/a> from news publication Government Europa, 41.9% of UK businesses have adopted cloud computing, which is double the EU average. France and Germany have an adoption rate of 19% and 22%, respectively. When considering that 60% of all data on the cloud is not access secured, the UK has a high risk of cybercrime.<\/p>\n

In fact, 46% of UK businesses suffered a cybersecurity breach or attack during the past year, which rises to 68% for medium-sized firms and 75% for large enterprises, based on statistics released<\/a> by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS).<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, the department found that organisations have become more resilient to breaches and attacks over time, and are less likely to report negative outcomes from breaches, and more likely to make a quick recovery. Nevertheless, the costs of breaches and attacks are substantial, such as:<\/p>\n