Industry News: UK Cyberattacks Continue to Surge, Security Experts Warn

In an article this week by The Independent, Security experts have warned that Cyberattacks across the UK and Europe are continuing at an alarming rate, with the experts urging both individuals and organisations to take urgent action. According to recent data from Check Point Research, the global average number of weekly cyberattacks per organisation reached 1,984 in Q2 2025, a 21% increase from the same period in 2024 and a 58% increase over the past two years. This upward trend isn’t new, but the scale and sophistication of these attacks are growing, especially in critical sectors and across European regions.

Source: Global Cyber Attacks Surge 21% in Q2 2025 — Europe Experiences the Highest Increase of All Regions - Check Point Blog

A Growing Threat Landscape

The education, healthcare, finance, and government services sectors continue to be a primary target, with an average of 2,246 attacks per organisation per week.

Meanwhile, ransomware attacks have surged, accounting for 12% of all cyber incidents in Europe. According to Sophos’ 2025 State of Ransomware Report, 66% of organisations in the UK were hit by ransomware in the past year, and 32% paid the ransom, often without recovering all their data.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has also issued several warnings throughout 2025, highlighting increased targeting of public infrastructure, small businesses, and supply chain vulnerabilities. The NCSC reported that over 7 million cyber-related incidents were recorded in the UK in the first half of 2025 alone, including phishing, business email compromise (BEC), and credential stuffing attacks.

What are the consequences?

Cyberattacks affect businesses of all sizes. In fact, 43% of cyberattacks target small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report, yet many lack the resources or awareness to adequately defend themselves.

The consequences of a breach can be devastating:

1. Downtime (the average cost of a data breach in the UK is now £3.4 million, according to IBM).
2. Reputational damage.
3. Loss of customer trust.
4. Potential legal and regulatory penalties, especially under GDPR.

Essential Steps to Safeguard Your Business

Cybersecurity must be proactive, layered, and continuous. Here are key practices every organisation should adopt:

1. User Education and Awareness
   Regular training helps employees identify phishing emails, suspicious links, and social engineering attempts.
2. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
   Adding an extra layer of security reduces the likelihood of compromised credentials being used to access sensitive systems.
3. Regular Patching and Updates
   Unpatched systems remain a top attack vector. Automate updates and prioritise critical vulnerabilities.
4. Data Backups and Disaster Recovery Plans
   Maintain frequent, encrypted, and offline backups. Test your recovery process regularly.
5. Zero Trust Architecture
   "Never trust, always verify". Limit access based on identity, context, and risk.
6. Endpoint and Network Monitoring
   Use tools like EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) to detect, isolate, and remediate threats quickly.
7. Incident Response Preparedness
   Have a tested response plan for cyber incidents. This reduces panic and speeds up containment and recovery.

Why You Need Fitzrovia IT

In the current climate, prevention is essential. As a trusted London-based provider with over 20 years of experience, Fitzrovia IT offers a full suite of specialist cybersecurity services designed to protect modern businesses from the ground up.

Our Core Cybersecurity Services Include:

• Managed Cybersecurity
  Continuous protection tailored to your business, with 24/7 monitoring, threat detection, and incident containment so threats are stopped before they spread.
• Incident Response Management
  When an attack happens, every second counts. Our expert-led response minimises downtime and reputational risk.
• Security Architecture Configuration
  We design and implement robust, scalable security frameworks across your networks, endpoints, and cloud environments. We are aligning your infrastructure with modern best practices and compliance standards.
• Security Consultancy Services
  Whether you need a one-off audit or long-term strategic advice, our experienced consultants offer expert guidance.
• Device Management
  With the rise in hybrid working, endpoint security is critical. We manage and secure all devices accessing your network, ensuring policy compliance and reducing entry points for attackers.
• Penetration Testing
  Our ethical hacking services simulate real-world attacks to uncover vulnerabilities in your systems, before threat actors do. You get clear, actionable insights to strengthen your defences.
• Vulnerability Management
  Stay ahead of emerging threats. We provide regular vulnerability scanning, risk prioritisation, and patch management to ensure your systems are always up to date and secure.

Get in touch here and find out how we can help your business.