Government calls on UK business to join forces on cyber security amid rise in major attacks

Government ministers along with the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency have written to the UK's leading companies urging them to take action on cyber security. 

The letter says hostile cyber activity in the UK is growing more intense, frequent and sophisticated. In light of recent cyber incidents, the Government is urging large businesses to take three key actions to improve their cyber resilience:

• Making cyber resilience a Board-level responsibility using the Cyber Governance Code of Practice

• Signing up for the NCSC’s Early Warning service to receive timely alerts of potential cyber attacks impacting their systems

• Using the Cyber Essentials scheme to ensure foundational technical protections are in place across their supply chains

You can read the full letter online.

In addition, the NCSC have published their annual review, along with the new Cyber Action Toolkit for small businesses, which is designed to help sole traders and small organisations put in place some of the basic cyber security measures that help guard against the most common cyber threats.

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:

“We’ve seen firsthand the disruption caused by cyber-attacks on major British companies, hitting their bottom line and putting jobs at risk. The Government stands ready to help, but cyber security is an issue that demands leadership both from chief executives and right across the boardroom.  "It’s in that vein I am calling on them to take immediate action. We need companies to make sure they are better protected and better able to recover quickly if the worst happens.  "We are providing clear advice and practical tools, but with threats growing in scale and sophistication, business leaders need to step up their defences now and treat this as a strategic priority.” 

Here at the EMCRC, we would encourage all businesses to seize on Government support to protect themselves from cyber attacks, as the number of nationally significant incidents rises to an average of four every week.

The National Cyber Security Centre - part of GCHQ - unveiled the rising number of attacks in its Annual Review. The agency dealt with 204 attacks in the three most serious categories in the 12 months to August 2025, more than doubling from 89 in the previous year.  

We know that the Midlands’ economic strengths lie across a range of sectors, and that it is home not only to FTSE 350 companies, but also their supply chains and a huge array of smaller companies - ensuring they improve their cyber resilience will be key to maintaining and developing the region’s economic growth.

A chance to meet the team to discuss cyber security

Calling all Derbyshire CEOs and Leaders in the business and charity community!

We’re planning a networking event in Derby this December entitled ‘Know Your Cyber Resilience Centre’. It will be held at an informal venue in the city centre at which you will be able to meet your local CRC team and find out how we can help you to protect your organisation. 

The event on December 11 promises to be insightful, engaging and, as it’s close to Christmas, you can expect a cordial and welcoming atmosphere. Register your interest by contacting us here, or via our EventBrite page.

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Reporting

Report all Fraud and Cybercrime to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Report SMS scams by forwarding the original message to 7726 (spells SPAM on the keypad).

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