The Race to Build Better Cybersecurity: How Governments and Private Firms Are Responding to Rising Cybercrime

The recent announcement of the Government's Cyber Action Plan is a significant advancement in the digital resilience of the public sector, which has historically lacked robust protections. This has led to a series of damaging, high-profile cyber-attacks, undermining public confidence in digital government services.

The government's plan, which is supported by £250m of funding and led by the Government Cyber Unit, is hoped to restore trust and 'rapidly improve cyber defences and digital resilience across government departments and the wider public sector.'

The move is part of a wider strategy to digitise more public services, which the government says will secure an estimated £45bn in productivity savings. This is a trend amongst European governments, who are looking to capitalise on advances in AI to optimise public service delivery and cut costs.

But these developments open state infrastructure to new vulnerabilities at a time when cyber-crime is sharply increasing. According to the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, cyber-attacks rose by 50% in 2025, emphasising the substantial risk to those who do not invest more seriously in defensive systems.

The perpetrators of these attacks — a range of state-backed and criminal cybergangs — attempt to penetrate digital systems to compromise sensitive data or extort victims through ransomware attacks.

The private sector: the primary target for hostile actors

Despite the focus on public systems, only 38% of cyber-attacks affect the public sector. The private sector remains the primary target. Howden, a leading UK insurance broker, reported that cybercrime has cost UK businesses over £44 billion in the past five years.

The financial consequences can be severe, including both operational losses and regulatory fines. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the UK's largest car manufacturer, experienced a major cyber-attack in 2025, estimated to have cost £1.9 billion—the largest in British history. In another case, British Airways was fined £20 million following a data breach that affected 400,000 customers.

A report by Cohesity, a major data services provider, underscores the scale of the threat. Its annual survey found that 76% of firms experienced a cyber-attack, 42% lost customers, and 87% suffered revenue losses as a result. In this environment, companies cannot afford complacency when it comes to cybersecurity.

Dahua Technology: combining best practices with customer service

So, what can companies do to strengthen their cyber defences? While AI and advanced technologies are transforming the industry, the fundamentals of effective and responsive customer service remain critical.

Dahua Technology, a global provider of cloud-integrated video surveillance solutions, offers round-the-clock cybersecurity support through its Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT). The company also provides regular firmware updates and publicly discloses vulnerabilities, helping customers stay informed and protected.

Darktrace and Salt Security: innovative solutions for modern threats

Darktrace is another firm committed to high standards of data security. Founded by mathematicians and intelligence experts from the University of Cambridge, it delivers AI-powered cybersecurity that learns organisational patterns and responds to threats in real time. This enables companies to act quickly and minimise potential damage.

Application Programming Interface (API) security is also crucial for modern cyber resilience, as APIs enable communication between software systems. Salt Security has developed a practical API security checklist that organisations can use to strengthen their digital defences.

Conclusion

Following a year of significant cyber-attacks in the UK, businesses must ensure their cybersecurity systems are robust enough to counter evolving threats. This requires investing in advanced technologies, demanding higher standards from service providers, securing supply chains and third-party systems, and maintaining strong customer communication practices.