Understanding and Mitigating Cyber Risks in the UK

Keeping up with the many pseudonyms and abbreviations used in the modern tech industry can be challenging. Fortunately, our tech experts at Netitude are on hand to clarify any confusion around DMARC Compliance and its importance in today’s blog post.

Fast-forward a few months to July, and the world was seemingly brought to a crashing halt by the CrowdStrike disaster. This disaster highlighted the vulnerable nature of some of the most tried and trusted cybersecurity solutions.

In the same vein, Richard Horne, the head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), recently suggested that the cyber threats facing the UK are “widely underestimated” concerning their increasing frequency, sophistication, and intensity.

Today, we’ll explore this notion a bit further to find out if the UK and the businesses that operate within it are prepared to propel cyber threats and protect their organisations from potential breaches and cyber-attacks that could compromise their operations and data integrity.

What Are State-Led Cyber Threats?

In recent times, the world has become very turbulent and unpredictable, underpinned by international warfare, political unrest, and economic instability. These factors have significantly heightened the risk landscape, making robust cybersecurity measures more critical than ever for businesses striving to protect their assets and maintain operational resilience.

State-led or state-sponsored cyber attacks are malicious activities sanctioned, conducted, or supported by nation-states. These attacks are typically carried out by highly skilled groups known as Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs). They are often used as leverage to achieve political, military, or economically charged objectives.

Richard Horne, head of the NCSC, continued in this week’s speech to highlight Russia's “aggression and recklessness of cyber activity” and described China as a “highly sophisticated cyber actor,” inferring that the Chinese have ambitions to project their influence beyond their borders in the future.

If these state-led cyber threats go unchecked, UK-based organisations can expect to face increased incidents of data breaches, significant financial losses, operational disruptions, and potential damage to their reputations. The growing sophistication of these attacks means that without robust cybersecurity measures, businesses may struggle to defend against the evolving tactics of state-sponsored actors, ultimately compromising their ability to operate securely and efficiently.

Exploiting the Potential Vulnerabilities Within UK Businesses

State-led cyber threats could exploit a range of vulnerabilities they could leverage to target and harm the UK and its businesses. Here are some potential vulnerabilities and weak spots they could target to their advantage should they choose to launch a cyber attack:

1. Unpatched Software: Unpatched software refers to applications or systems that contain known security vulnerabilities that have not yet been addressed through updates or patches. When these vulnerabilities are discovered by software vendors (Microsoft, VMware, Fortinet), they typically release patches to fix them; however, if these pieces of software are left unattended, a whole host of issues could arise, such as security breaches, data loss and mass organisational disruption.
   
   
   
2. Zero-Day Vulnerabilities: This type of vulnerability involves a security flaw in software or hardware already known to the vendor and for which no patch or fix is available. Attackers can target these zero-day exploits to obtain unauthorised access, data theft, or malware installation.
   
   
3. Phishing and Spear Phishing: The 2024 Cyber Security Breaches Survey concluded that phishing is the most common cybersecurity threat UK-based organisations are likely to encounter. State-led cyber attackers can leverage tried and tested phishing methods to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information or installing malware (aka malicious software). Spear phishing goes one step further in targeting specific individuals or organisations with highly personalised and convincing messages, often based on detailed research about the target. This makes spear phishing particularly effective and dangerous, as it can bypass traditional security measures and exploit human vulnerabilities.
   
   
4. Supply Chain Attacks: An organisation is only as strong as its weak link, and if a business has partnered with a vendor who has neglected its cybersecurity defences, then that decision could come back around to bite them. State-led cyber attackers can analyse the businesses associated with organisations and analyse and infiltrate them to their advantage in a worst-case scenario.
   
   
5. Critical Infrastructure: State-sponsored cyber attackers are highly likely to target a country’s critical infrastructure due to its importance and the potential impact a breach could have on national security and public safety. For example, if a state-led cyber attacker compromised the National Health Service (NHS), it could result in widespread disruption of healthcare services, endanger patient data, and create significant challenges for the UK government in managing public health and safety.
   
   
6. Weak Passwords and Authentication: Believe it or not, a weak password could be all it takes for a company to succumb to a state-led cyber attack. That’s why it’s paramount for UK businesses to follow password best practices and opt for more secure authentication processes, such as 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication), to mitigate the risk.

By addressing these vulnerabilities, UK-based businesses can significantly improve their protection against the sophisticated tactics employed by state-sponsored cyber threat actors.

What Can Be Done?

No one wants to be on the wrong end of a cyber-attack. As technology experts who’ve been in the business of protecting businesses and upscaling their IT for over two decades, take our word for it.

Therefore, here are some steps you can take in the meantime to give you that all-important peace of mind when it comes to cybersecurity:

1. Implementing NSCS Guidance: In this week’s speech, Horne emphasised the importance of heeding the various cybersecurity resources, best practices, frameworks, and detailed guidance documents available on their website to help businesses enhance their cybersecurity measures holistically.
2. Building Cyber Resilience: Cyber resilience refers to an organisation’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents while maintaining the continuity of their operations. Richard Horne touched on this in his speech, stressing the need for coordinated efforts to strengthen cyber resilience across the UK.
3. Proactive Measures: The head of the NCSC also came out and highlighted the need to close the gap between the threats the everyday UK-based business faces and the defences that are currently protecting them. These proactive measures could include adopting a more dynamic approach towards cybersecurity, including real-time visibility and insight into all aspects of their infrastructure.
4. Legislation and Regulation: Richard Horne also mentioned the need for more up-to-date legislative measures to be brought in to counter the ever-evolving threats and nature of modern cyber-attacks. He emphasised that new laws, such as the proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, could play a crucial role in enforcing secure practices and ensuring that both public and private sectors are better equipped to handle the increasing sophistication of cyber threats.
5. Partner with a worthy Managed Service Provider (MSP): If you haven’t got a competent MSP or have partnered with one that doesn’t have your best interests at heart from a cybersecurity standpoint, we strongly suggest you take a moment to revise this and weigh up your options in terms of the MSPs that are currently available on the market. At Netitude, we pride ourselves on guaranteeing our customers a 100% pass rate on their Cyber Essentials. We continuously go above and beyond to ensure the businesses we partner with remain operational and secure.

It’s Never Been More Important to Invest in Cybersecurity

In today's digital landscape, the threats facing businesses are more sophisticated and pervasive than ever. As a top MSP 501, UK-based Managed Service Provider, we bring years of industry expertise and best practices to help our clients safeguard their operations and achieve our mission: 'Growth Through Technology'.

Investing in your IT infrastructure could be the difference between a business succumbing to an incredibly damaging cyber attack and being able to swat aside the attempt to infiltrate its systems confidently. By prioritising cybersecurity, you protect your valuable data and assets and ensure the continuity and resilience of your operations. In an era where cyber threats are ever-present, a robust IT infrastructure is your best defence against potential disruptions and a key enabler of sustained growth and success.

Therefore, we suggest you take the initiative to find the right MSP for your business. They can help you make informed technological decisions to protect your business, elevate your standards, and scale organisational practices that’ll help you stand out from your competitors.

Closing Thoughts

As we head into the final weeks of 2024, there are undoubtedly many lessons to be learned from what UK-based organisations have faced in the last calendar year. These risks posed by state-sponsored cyber attackers and everyday cybercriminals are not likely to slow down any time soon. Therefore, it’s pivotal that businesses take appropriate action by integrating proactive cybersecurity measures, adhering to NCSC guidance, enhancing cyber resilience, and adopting dynamic defences that could make all the difference in a real-time scenario.

We understand that’s a lot for the average business to stay on top of. That’s why we recommend investing in a robust IT infrastructure and partnering with a tried and trusted Managed Service Provider (MSP) who can take on the onus of managing and securing your systems, allowing you to focus on driving your business forward.

If you’re interested in protecting your business, elevating your standards, and staying ahead of your competitors heading into 2025, book a meeting with our Managing Director today to find out more about what we have on offer.