UK businesses face rising cyber threats with attacks occurring every 42 seconds.

UK businesses encountered a record 753,341 cyberattacks in 2024, a 4% increase from the previous year (720,252), according to IT consultancy Northdoor.

For the first time in years, the attack rate declined in the first quarter of 2024, marking a shift from the typical trend of a surge in the final quarter of the year. Despite the reduction this is only the third quarter on record that cyberattacks experienced by businesses exceeded 2,000 per day.

Nearly 25% of attacks originated from China, with a notable rise in attacks from India. Internet of Things (IoT) devices were the most targeted, with business firewalls seeing over 161 attacks daily, affecting building control systems, security cameras, printers, remote monitoring and industrial automation.

AJ Thompson, Northdoor’s chief commercial officer, emphasised the importance of employees adopting basic cybersecurity practices, such as using strong passwords and keeping systems updated. "System updates are often delayed, but they are essential to prevent cybersecurity issues," Thompson said. 

The rise of artificial intelligence has compounded the issue, with companies like Beazley and eBay reporting an increase in hyper-personalised phishing attacks generated by AI technology.