Ministers have warned entrepreneurs to take cyber security seriously and protect their businesses against attacks.
In an open letter to small businesses and representative organisations, digital economy minister Liz Lloyd, small business minister Blair McDougall and National Cyber Security Centre chief executive Richard Horne said “cyber activity in the UK is growing more intense, frequent and sophisticated” with businesses of all sizes at risk.
The letter cities data that shows half of small businesses in the UK have suffered a cyber attack in the previous 12 months and 35% of micro businesses reported phishing attacks.
Businesses should take advantage of the government’s free cyber security resources, it continued, including the Cyber Action Toolkit and Cyber Essentials, the certification scheme protecting businesses against common cyber attacks.
“Protecting your business against a cyber attack is much less onerous than having to pick up the pieces after a devastating attack,” the letter said.
“Good cyber security empowers your business to grow confidently, safeguard customer trust, and stay resilient in the face of evolving threats. You don’t need to be a technical expert or have a large IT team to put effective protections in place.”
In October, the National Cyber Security Centre said it dealt with 204 “nationally significant” cyber attacks against the UK in the 12 months to August 2025, a sharp increase from 89 in the previous year.
These are incidents which have a substantial impact on the UK’s national security, economy or critical infrastructure, including threats to essential services, sensitive data, or key government functions.
Richard Horne said: “Cyber security is now a matter of business survival and national resilience.”