BT Group PLC (LSE:BT.A) has accelerated its move into cybersecurity with the launch of a managed system that warns UK businesses of suspicious activity and blocks threats and attacks before they happen.
Roughly two-thirds of mid-large businesses reporting a cyber-crime over the last 12 months, said the telecoms giant, with UK businesses hit by an attack every 45 seconds.
Dean Terry, MD of BT Enterprise’s Corporate and Public Sector unit, said: “As we’ve seen recently, cybercriminals continue to cash in on the pandemic, targeting a number of mid to large businesses with ransomware threats.
“Many organisations have had to radically change how they manage operations and data over the past 18 months, so it’s critical that they adopt cybersecurity solutions which provide visibility and protection across their entire estate.”
Earlier this month, BT was the largest investor in a funding round carried out by Silicon Valley-based cyber risk management firm Safe Security.
At the time, Philip Jansen, BT’s chief executive said cybersecurity was at the top of the agenda for businesses and governments battling increasing levels of attack.
The cost of global cybercrime reached over US$1trn in 2020, said BT, as criminals targeted individuals and organisations of all sizes.