Trend Cyber attacks growing in complexity, severity and range of perpetrators

Summary

The report sees cyber attacks such as ransomware as a serious and continuing threat to individuals, businesses and critical national infrastructure. Attacks are becoming more complex and severe, and the range of attackers, many based overseas, is widening, which intensifies the risk landscape. The UK faces cyber threats from a complicated mix of actors including states, criminals and hacktivist groups, many operating abroad and thereby hampering law enforcement. Fast-moving digital technology, the concentration of data in cloud services and the growth of remote working have created new vulnerabilities and deepened existing ones. The cyber crime economy is becoming more sophisticated, and ransomware is ranked among the greatest risks to governments, businesses and infrastructure.