Healthcare and education sectors are most vulnerable to cyber threats

H2 2021 data from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), analyzed by cyber security awareness and data analytics company CybSafe, indicates that healthcare and education are the sectors most vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

 

Last year, healthcare and education accounted for more than a third (34%) of security incidents, up 1% from 2020. According to the data, ransomware attacks targeting the education sector increased significantly from 19% in 2020 to 22% in 2021. They were responsible for 26% of attacks in the first half of 2021, up from only 11% the previous year.

 

In H2 2021, the retail and manufacturing sectors experienced twice as many attacks as either of these industries, accounting for 20% of all attacks. Ransomware attacks are on the rise in the retail and manufacturing industries, accounting for 27% of all attacks in 2021, up from 23% in 2020.

 

On the other hand, phishing attacks have decreased, falling from 31% in 2020 to 26% in 2021. It is the first time that ransomware attacks have surpassed phishing in the industry. Ransomware attacks increased significantly in 2021, accounting for 30% of all attacks between July and December, up from 24% between January and June.

 

While phishing is the most common type of attack, accounting for just under 30% of all attacks, ransomware attacks continue to be a growing threat to all industries. Following up on its previous analysis of ICO data for the first half of 2021, CybSafe dug deeper into the details of the UK’s cyber security breaches over the year.

 

Meanwhile, according to a recent Obrela survey, 81% of UK healthcare organizations will be hit by ransomware in 2021. Notably, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has issued a warning about an increase in ransomware attacks targeting the education sector.