Public sector biggest malware target in UK - research

Two fifths of UK malware attacks target the public sector, according to research by NTT Com Security

The public sector was the biggest malware target of any UK industry in 2014, according to research by NTT Com Security.

The report, which analysed nearly six billion global cyberattacks in 2014, found that nearly two fifths (39 per cent) of malware attacks were on public sector organisations in the UK.

This was the region's most-targeted industry, coming ahead of insurance on 13 per cent, and the media and finance sectors, both on nine per cent.

Stuart Reed, senior director of global product marketing at NTT Com Security, said the significance of the data the industry holds explains the reason for the public sector attacks.

"The fact that public sector figures are so high compared with other sectors in the UK is due largely to the value of the data that many of these organisations have, which makes them attractive and highly prized targets for malware attacks," he said.

"While the level of threat may vary from organisation to organisation, they all have information that would be of interest to cybercriminals."

Although the public sector was the UK's most-targeted industry, the report found that globally, finance is the most under-fire sector, with 18 per cent of all detected attacks.

Attacks against business and professional services firms were also on the rise, rising from nine per cent to 15 per cent worldwide.

"It's also interesting that we have seen some campaigns specifically targeting business and professional services," Reed added.

"It is possible that companies in this sector may not have the equivalent security resources and skills in-house that many other larger companies do, yet they potentially yield high value for attackers as both an end target and a gateway target to strategic partners."