DCMS Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2021

The Government's annual survey detailing the costs and impacts of cyber breaches and attacks on organisations.

Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2021

On 24 March 2021, DCMS released the results of their survey of UK businesses and charities to find out how they approach cyber security and gain insight into the cyber security issues faced by organisations. The research informs government policy on cyber security and how government works with industry to help ensure the UK's cyber resilience.

Some of the findings include:

Among those identifying breaches or attacks, their frequency is undiminished, and phishing remains the most common threat vector. However, impersonation scams and malware (including ransomware) were also common.
£8,460 is the average annual cost for businesses that lost data or assets after breaches
39% of businesses identified cybersecurity breaches or attacks in the last 12 months (down from 2020). Larger businesses are more likely to identify breaches/attacks than smaller ones.
Among the 39% in 2021, 27% were attacked at least once a week and 23% needed new measures to stop future attacks