Cyber security for business
Impact of cyber attack on your business
A cyber attack can disrupt your business and cause lasting harm. Impacts can be broadly divided into three categories: financial, reputational and legal.
Economic cost of cyber attack
Cyber attacks often lead to substantial financial loss arising from:
- theft of corporate information
- theft of financial information (eg bank details or payment card details)
- theft of money
- disruption to trading (eg inability to carry out transactions online)
- loss of business or contract
- recovery costs associated with repairing systems, networks and devices
The UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 shows that 43% of businesses and 30% of charities experienced breaches in the past 12 months. Medium and large businesses, and high-income charities, faced higher rates of breaches. The average cost of the worst breach was £1,600 for businesses and £3,240 for charities. Excluding zero-cost cases, the average cost rose to £3,550 for businesses and £8,690 for charities.
Reputational damage
Customers expect secure handling of their data. Cyber breaches damage your reputation and erode trust, leading to:
- loss of customers
- loss of sales and profits
- strained supplier, investor or partner relationships
Legal consequences of a cyber breach
Data protection and privacy laws require you to secure all personal data you hold. Failure to do so can result in fines and regulatory sanctions from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Minimise the impact of cyber attacks on businesses
Assess and manage cyber risks before they happen.
You can use the National Cyber Security Centre's (NCSC) free Check your cyber security service to find vulnerabilities in your public-facing IT. You can also get a tailored Cyber Action Plan by answering a few quick questions.
After an attack, follow your cyber security incident response plan to limit damage, report incidents, clean up your systems, and restore operations in the shortest time possible. Invest in regular staff training, education and awareness on cyber security to safeguard your business.