year ’ s figures . Additionally , 62 % of the industry now says that there is a senior manager involved in a cybersecurity committee within the business , while 58 % reported that a main board director is responsible for driving cyber protection for the firm .
The report found that 89 % of companies are investing heavily in antivirus software and firewalls to secure internet connections . Very few companies — under 1 % — reported not having any technical mitigation in place . Regarding perceived threat origin , Russia and China are level-pegging , with 75 % of manufacturers perceiving a cyber threat originating from these regions , followed by the EU ( 25 %) and the US ( 23 %).
The report also identified the main barriers to companies increasing their level of cybersecurity : the initial cost of cyber protection products was cited as the main block by just over 40 % of manufacturers , while the cost of maintaining these security systems was the second most cited barrier , with 35 % of the industry suggesting it is a key obstacle .
“ No business can afford to ignore this issue , and failing to get this right could cost the manufacturing industry billions of pounds and put thousands of jobs at risk ,” says Phipson . “ Every business is vulnerable , and every business needs to take the necessary steps to protect themselves properly .”