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5 Ways to build resilience and protect your business from cyber-attacks
More than one in four UK businesses experienced cyber-attacks in 2025. The attacks occurred every 44 seconds at an estimate and cost the UK economy a staggering £14.7 billion in financial losses.
As organisations race to adopt the latest tech innovations and scale ambitious AI projects, cybersecurity remains a key barrier to their success.
Emerging threats
With the complexity of digital threats that organisations face – from phishing attacks and malware to AI-generated deepfakes, those who work proactively to strengthen their cyber resilience, will come out on top.
Here are 5 practical steps to protect your business from cyber-attacks:
1) Treat cybersecurity as a business priority, not just an IT task
Cybersecurity is a core risk that can impact the whole business. Yet only 22% of UK businesses have a formal incident management plan in place, leaving many unprepared for the realities of modern cybercrime.
Action steps:
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Build a quarterly security review into your board agenda
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Add a cybersecurity risk check to your business case template
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Create a risk matrix for major projects
2) Study emerging threats
Studying evolving threats to identify how they can breach an organisation’s cyber defences is more important that in the past, where phishing emails were the most common and strongest attack vector. Organisations should focus on turning a cyber incident into an activation of a response plan that is runbook-based and measure response and recovery times for continuous improvement.
3) Use multi-factor authentication
A basic antivirus and firewall are not enough by themselves. Modern cyberattacks exploit multiple vulnerabilities, which is why layered protection is essential.
Action steps:
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Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all systems
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Install endpoint detection and response (EDR) on every device
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Ensure you have a security patching programme
4) Keep an eye on early warning signs
Attacks are often preceded by small warning signs like unusual traffic patterns, failed logins, or unexpected system behaviour. Real-time monitoring tools can detect anomalies early and stop an incident from escalating.
Action steps:
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Set up alerts for suspicious activity (failed logins, odd locations, unusual data transfers)
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Establish baseline “normal” behaviour, so abnormalities stand out
5) Review cyber resilience with independent validation
In a zero-trust world, independent fact checking has become the only way to achieve an acceptable level of assurance, and company certifications have become the gateway to support business engagements.
Cyber Essentials Plus is a UK government-backed cyber security certification scheme and provides independent assurance that an organisation operates to a recognised standard of quality, safety and accountability. It enables organisations to build essential defences across key areas of the business and is becoming a minimum requirement in many supply chain conversations as a clear indicator of a company’s ability for proactive risk management.
This year, we at FDM renewed our Cyber Essentials Plus certification, demonstrating an improvement, (not just compliance) with cybersecurity best practices. We strengthened how we measure continuous improvement by clearer metrics, monitoring performance trends, holding structured review points and using feedback to evidence-sustained change rather than isolated actions. It gives confidence to the public, assurance to leaders and signals to the sector that quality is embedded in our everyday practice.
Many organisations drag their heels when it comes to compliance activities. It is crucial to monitor your performance through metrics such as mock audits and lower the need for remediation activities by keeping on top of your cyber hygiene.
At FDM, we believe the most powerful line of defence is people. That’s why we work with organisations to build in-house cybersecurity capabilities, embedding our consultants into their teams to support long-term resilience.
About the campaign
techUK’s TechTogether campaign continues with a focus on ‘Evolving Online Safety'. Our insights this week focus on ensuring AI systems are designed, governed and deployed responsibly, with diverse perspectives shaping how technology impacts society, strengthening cyber defences and reducing vulnerabilities as organisations adopt new technologies and expand digital services, and addressing workplace culture, leadership and systemic barriers to ensure diverse voices shape the future of technology.
TechTogether week 4
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