Business leaders supported to bolster online defences to safeguard growth

Directors and company boards are being urged to shore up their cyber defences using new guidance published today, in a bid to protect their organisations from the growing tide of online threats.

Directors and company boards are being urged to shore up their cyber defences using new guidance published today, in a bid to protect their organisations from the growing tide of online threats.  

A new Code of Practice launched by the Cyber Security Minister today (8 April) sets out how business leaders can protect their day-to-day operations and secure future growth for the British economy - the engine driving the government’s Plan for Change.  

One of the actions include having a cyber strategy in place to ensure cyber risk management effectively supports business resilience and growth. Other key actions include promoting a cyber secure culture so employees at all levels know what to look out for, and putting incident response plans in place, allowing organisations to quickly respond to incidents when they occur.   

The Code has received backing from across UK industry with organisations including the Institute of Directors, EY and Wavestone welcoming the launch.  

Cyber attacks have become increasingly common, with 74% of large businesses and 70% of medium-sized firms experiencing attacks and breaches in the past year. Cyber threats cost the UK economy billions, with significant knock-on effects to daily operations and an organisation’s long-term reputation.