The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is urging organisations to enhance their cyber security protocols in light of increasing cyber attacks, with over 3,000 breaches reported in 2023 alone.
The ICO’s new report, “Learning from the mistakes of others,” identifies critical security lapses that have led to significant data breaches in sectors like finance, retail, and education.
Stephen Bonner, deputy commissioner – regulatory supervision at the ICO, emphasised the urgency of robust cyber security measures. “People need to feel confident that organisations are doing as much as they possibly can to keep their personal information secure.
“While cyber attacks are growing more sophisticated, we find that many organisations are not responding accordingly and are still neglecting the very foundations of cyber security,” he stated.
The report offers practical advice for improving security frameworks and stresses the importance of foundational cyber security controls to protect personal information.
Bonner warned: “If you do experience a cyber attack, we always encourage transparency as your mistakes could help another organisation to avoid a similar breach.”
