One in five businesses have fallen victim to cyberattacks in the past year, according to the results of a survey released today.

The survey of more than 1,200 businesses across the UK by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) found that 20 per cent had been hit by a cyberattack in the last 12 months.

Big businesses are far more likely than their smaller counterparts to be victims of attacks, with 42 per cent of companies with more than 100 staff being hit, compared with 18 per cent of companies with fewer than 99 employees.

The results indicate that businesses are most reliant on IT providers (63 per cent) to resolve issues after an attack, compared to banks and financial institutions (12 per cent) or police and law enforcement (two per cent).

The findings show that 21 per cent of businesses believe the threat of cyber-crime is preventing their company from growing.

The BCC survey also shows:

• Only 24 per cent of businesses have cyber security accreditations in place;

• Smaller businesses are far less likely to have accreditation (10 per cent of sole traders and 15 per cent of those with on to four employees) than big businesses (47 per cent with more than 100 employees);

• Of the businesses that do have accreditations, 49 per cent believe it gives their business a competitive advantage over rival companies, and 33 per cent consider it important in creating a more secure environment when trading with other businesses

The director general of the BCC, Dr Adam Marshall, said: "Cyber-attacks risk companies' finances, confidence and reputation, with victims reporting not only monetary losses but costs from disruption to their business and productivity.

"While firms of all sizes - from major corporations to one-man operations - fall prey to attacks, our evidence shows that large companies are more likely to experience them.

"Firms need to be proactive about protecting themselves from cyber-attacks.

"Accreditations can help businesses assess their own IT infrastructure, defend against cyber-security breaches and mitigate the damage caused by an attack. It can also increase confidence among the businesses and clients who they engage with online.

"Businesses should also be mindful of the extension to data protection regulation coming into force next year, which will increase their responsibilities and requirements to protect personal data.

"Firms that don't adopt the appropriate protections leave themselves open to tough penalties.

"Companies are reporting a reliance on IT support providers to resolve cyber-attacks.

"More guidance from government and police about where and how to report attacks would provide businesses with a clear path to follow in the event of a cyber-security breach, and increase clarity around the response options available to victims, which would help minimize the occurrence of cybercrime."

From May next year, all businesses that use personal data will have to ensure they are compliant with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation.

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