Half of UK manufacturers fall victim to cyber attacks

Cybercrime is becoming a bigger concern - REUTERS

The UK has already suffered stealth cyber attacks on more than 80 manufacturing plants, with criminals deploying tactics that could put critical national infrastructure at risk.

Britain’s spy agencies have warned the bosses of utilities, transport and health services that Russian hackers are invading unprotected networks ahead of a potentially serious attack.

But new evidence shows the attackers are already targeting UK factories. In an anonymous survey of manufacturers, almost half admitted that they have fallen prey to cyber warfare, according to trade group EEF. 

Stephen Phipson, the boss of EEF, said 48pc of those surveyed said they have at some time been subject to a cyber security incident, and half of these suffered some financial loss or disruption to business as a result.

Almost 170 manufacturers across the country took part in the survey.

“There seems little doubt that many more attacks will have gone undetected,” Mr Phipson added.

Oliver Welch, EEF’s security expert, said it is possible that manufacturers may not even be aware. “There’s evidence out there that there is quite a lot of malware that is designed to sit in the background, not really do very much, while the person infected doesn’t even know that it is happening,” he said.

A cyber security expert at INSINIA Security, speaking to The Daily Telegraph, said: “Russia has been probing us for years and years. This is far more than reconnaissance. Anyone who is burying their head in the sand and saying that Russia aren’t attacking us is mad.”