Insights

It’s the spookiest time of year, but the scariest masks aren’t made of latex but pixels.

When a business suffers a cyberattack, the default assumption is often that it’s the work of some kind of elite, state-sponsored hackers. Media coverage tends to focus on “nation-state threats” or “advanced persistent threat (APT) groups.” But the truth is far less dramatic — and far more common. Many of the most disruptive cyberattacks are not orchestrated by government operatives or seasoned professionals but by teenagers and young adults armed with basic tools, AI, social engineering tactics, and off-the-shelf malware kits.

Deepfakes are becoming a major cyber security threat

With the NIS2 Directive now in force across much of the EU, energy and manufacturing organisations are dealing with the reality of a more stringent cyber security regime. Most Member States have transposed the directive into national law, but with varying definitions, reporting timelines and audit expectations. This patchwork means companies operating in multiple jurisdictions must navigate different obligations at once — a challenge that has already caught some businesses off guard. 

The cyber threat landscape has never been more complex. Attackers are constantly scanning for weak points, exploiting overlooked assets, and targeting both technology and people. For organisations, being breach ready is no longer about reacting when an incident occurs. It’s about proactively understanding, monitoring, and managing the attack surface so that risks can be reduced before they are exploited.

Every October, organisations and individuals across the world mark Cyber Security Awareness Month, an initiative designed to strengthen our collective defences and improve digital resilience. In 2025, the campaign is placing a particular emphasis on social engineering. While ransomware, phishing and other attacks continue to dominate headlines, security leaders know that the human element remains at the core of the majority of breaches. This year is about confronting that reality and helping people recognise and resist manipulation online and offline. 

For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the firewall remains the first and often main line of defence against cyber threats. Yet too often, firewalls are treated as a one-off purchase rather than a living, evolving security control. Misconfigurations, outdated software, and a lack of oversight can open the door to attacks that would otherwise be preventable. Below we explore five of the most common SME firewall missteps, the risks they pose, and how Integrity360 helps businesses avoid them.

In today’s threat landscape, the question for most organisations is no longer if a breach will occur but when. Being breach ready means having the structures, people and processes in place to respond effectively and minimise damage. A well-designed Incident Response (IR) plan gives your team a clear roadmap during a crisis, reduces confusion and accelerates recovery. Here’s how to build one that works in practice.

When it comes to cyber security the role of the board has never been more critical. No longer can directors view cyber security as just an IT concern. A board that is breach ready can help ensure an organisation not only survives an incident but emerges stronger. To achieve this, boards must take a proactive stance, embedding cyber resilience into governance, culture, and decision-making. 

The phrase “breach ready” is increasingly used in boardrooms, industry events, and vendor pitches. Yet many organisations still struggle to understand what it truly means in practice. Too often it is interpreted as simply having cyber insurance or a basic incident response plan in place. In reality, being breach ready goes far deeper. It means building the capability to withstand, respond to, and recover from a cyber attack with minimal disruption and cost.

In the world of cyber security, attackers are always innovating and testing the boundaries of systems, networks, and applications to find the gaps that no one else has spotted. For organisations, the challenge is keeping ahead of them. Traditional penetration testing is a powerful and necessary tool, but it’s not the only one available. Enter the modern-day bounty hunters: highly skilled ethical hackers scouring your systems for exposures before malicious actors can exploit them. This is the world of bug bounties. 

New cyber security partnership provides businesses with round-the-clock protection through a global network of over two million ethical hackers