Security for next-level growth

No matter the size of your workforce, cybersecurity is an issue growing in importance. As businesses digitise further, more will find themselves in situations where they could be at risk. Alarmingly, just under half of UK medium-sized businesses (45%) have experienced some type of cybercrime in the last 12 months. As a result, four in ten businesses (41%) have reportedly sought out information and guidance on cybersecurity in the past year.

New Three Business research, with 400 medium-sized businesses (50-250 employees), highlights consistent bottom-line employee and revenue growth across all industries in the last two years. But this doesn’t come without risks. More employees mean more opportunities for human error while using new technology. Sharing information online can mean increased opportunities for harmful data breaches. 

From improving the digital awareness of employees to ensuring compliance and governance at every endpoint, let’s explore how to secure your business for next-level growth. 

Types of cyberattacks can vary depending on the vulnerabilities of particular businesses. For businesses with large numbers of employees moving from location to location, risks can arise when individuals log into company systems through unprotected public wireless networks.

On the other hand, organisations experiencing rapid employee growth or a change in tech stack can fall victim to insider threat, where those within the company fail to protect data and systems through negligence or lack of cybersecurity awareness.

The most common form of cyberattack is phishing, where users are tricked into clicking on malicious links or emails, and as a result download malware (malicious software) to a company system. These types of attacks are sharply rising across Europe, and as it stands 81% of cyber attacks and data breaches like these are targeted at small and medium-sized businesses. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here – and over a third (36%) of UK businesses have already adopted some sort of AI technology. Be it chatbots, or automation software, AI is being used to transform processes and drive efficiencies from within businesses. However, with such advancements come real vulnerabilities: 87% of UK organisations are said to be at risk of cyberattacks in the age of AI.

AI has the power to transform the way businesses detect and respond to potential threats, effectively increasing resilience and aiding faster reactivity. But to ensure security through the process, businesses also need to perform their own readiness assessment, and decipher their methods and intentions for implementing AI. 

Of the 400 medium-sized businesses we interviewed, 80% said that the size of their workforce had increased in the past two years. At the same time, 73% said technology will help them achieve their business goals for the years to come. However, almost all UK employers last year were said to have experienced digital skills shortages.

Medium-sized businesses will know that an imbalance between digital skillsets and new tech can impact the quality of services. As digitisation expands throughout professional services, unskilled talent using new digital tools and devices can cause delays in productivity but also threaten security. In fact, more than half (54%) of UK decision-makers believe their business is at risk of insider threat. 

Businesses are subject to various regulatory requirements and industry standards governing data protection and cybersecurity practices, while new pressures around the use of AI and financial crime are also developing. 

The recently updated NIS2 Directive, which impacts businesses across the EU, is upholding a new standard of cybersecurity. While NIS2 does not directly apply to UK businesses, changes coming into force will apply to managed service providers operating for EU businesses. It requires individual companies to have an effective disaster plan in place, i.e. a Computer Security Incident Response Team, and the creation of a compliance roadmap to optimise cybersecurity awareness. 

With large numbers of patient records, national care provider ISSAC is subject to compliance checks by the Care Quality Commission based on the handling of sensitive data. According to company director Neil Johnson,

“Reliable record keeping is enabled through seamless connectivity. And it’s absolutely critical. We have to generate copious evidence of what we’re doing at all times and are subject to spot checks from the CQC”.

With all the benefits technology can bring, a robust infrastructure supported by strong connectivity is essential. A mutual and reliable connection, like 5G*, will prove vital for ensuring employees are communicating and exchanging information over a secure network, rather than from an unsecured public Wi-Fi. 

For national training provider Realise, staffing and student numbers have skyrocketed in recent years. To ensure employees and learners can communicate and complete courses in a secure way remotely, Realise relies on robust and flexible connectivity from Three Business. 

Within professional services, connectivity is also critical for IoT devices to communicate – both with each other and the cloud. 5G-powered devices can revolutionise and streamline processes, helping keep systems running and monitoring health.

A reliable 5G network can not only handle large amounts of data but will have embedded security protocols to protect sensitive information when it is shared. Your network provider should be able to secure everything from compliance and employee data to the threat of cyberattacks.

Cybersecurity is not a trend that will dissipate in the years to come. It’s a very real part of modern work and ongoing digitisation. At the core of effective cybersecurity in today’s world of work is intelligent technology, robust connectivity, and effectively trained talent.

As game-changing AI, developing regulations, and a widening digital skills gap take course in the years to come, medium-sized businesses should find solutions relevant to their specific business needs and prioritise establishing a secure infrastructure to improve and bolster their digital defence. 

Choose Three Business as your trusted connectivity partner and unlock the full potential of your mobile workforce. With 99% outdoor coverage across the UK and a suite of innovative solutions, including Truly Unlimited data and cybersecurity protection, Three Business empowers organisations to thrive in a connected world.

• Source: Delivering Growth: How connectivity is crucial for business success (Three Business Medium Outlook Research, 2024)
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