Insights for Organisations
Skills Lab Team
08 January 2026
There’s one thing that never slows down in business — cybercrime. Whether it’s onboarding new staff or managing busy operational cycles, every change creates an opportunity for attackers. Hackers move quickly, and they count on businesses being one step behind.
During public holidays, cyber-attacks rise by around 30%. In the UK, businesses faced more than 753,000 malicious attempts to breach their systems in 2024 — that’s roughly one new threat every 42 seconds. Much of this surge is linked to organised cybercrime groups taking advantage of reduced staffing and seasonal distractions, particularly during the holidays.
When your business “home” is left unguarded, even for a moment, it becomes an easy target. The question isn’t if an attack will happen, but when.
Explore five practical strategies to keep your business protected — not just for the holidays, but all year round.
1. Treat cybersecurity as a business priority, not an IT task
Cybersecurity isn’t something you hand over to the IT team and tick off the list. It’s a core business risk that deserves leadership attention. Yet only 22% of UK businesses have a formal incident management plan in place, leaving many unprepared for the realities of modern cybercrime.
Every major decision — from onboarding new suppliers to selecting software — should include the question: Where’s the risk here?
Action steps:
- Build a quarterly security review into your board agenda
- Add a cybersecurity risk check to your business case template
- Create a simple one-page risk matrix for major projects
Sawan Joshi, FDM Group Director of Information Security, shares, “Many leaders assume that because they’ve invested heavily in security technology, their cyber maturity is high. In reality, strong cybersecurity isn’t just about tools — it’s about equally mature response and recovery capabilities.”
“Cyber maturity is often measured by the size of the operational security budget, but spending alone doesn’t provide a full picture. Simply adding more technology isn’t a strategy. Effective security should be driven by risk assessment and structured around a defence-in-depth approach. Frameworks provide a far more holistic way to measure and improve resilience.”
2. Turn your team into your first line of defence
A 2025 report found that 43% of breaches came from phishing attempts alone.
AI-powered tools like Senseon can help flag anomalies, but human awareness is still your strongest defence.
Action steps:
- Run monthly training using real phishing examples
- Carry out regular phishing simulations and give instant feedback
- Use a “stop, think, verify” rule for any unusual email request
- Set up an easy way for employees to flag suspicious messages
Sawan believes cyber criminals are already using AI to gather intelligence on companies and launch more targeted attacks. That raises the bar for organisations. Your IT teams now need to be comfortable using AI to move faster on alerts, incidents, and triage, before small issues turn into real damage.
3. Use multi-layered protection
A basic antivirus and firewall won’t cut it anymore. Modern cyberattacks often exploit multiple vulnerabilities, which is why layered protection is essential.
Over half of organisations hit by ransomware were attacked at night or over the weekend, exactly when security coverage is thinnest.
Action steps:
- Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) across all systems
- Install endpoint detection and response (EDR) on every device
- Automate security patches outside working hours
4. Keep an eye on early warning signs
Most attacks don’t appear out of thin air. There are usually small warning signs first, unusual traffic patterns, failed logins, or unexpected system behaviour.
Real-time monitoring tools can detect anomalies early and stop an incident from escalating.
Action steps:
- Set up alerts for suspicious activity (failed logins, odd locations, unusual data transfers)
- Establish baseline “normal” behaviour, so abnormalities stand out
5. Check your supply chain as thoroughly as you check your own systems
Your security is only as strong as your weakest link, and often that link is a supplier. A vendor with poor security standards can expose your entire network.
Make cybersecurity a standard part of procurement, not an afterthought.
Action steps:
- Use a vendor security questionnaire (incident response plans, encryption standards, certifications)
- Add clear cybersecurity clauses to contracts
- Perform annual reviews on your critical suppliers
Emerging threats
Sawan shares what emerging threats businesses should prepare for in 2026:
“Deepfake audio and video, rapid and more robust information gathering with increased accuracy by cybercriminals. More localised call centres running phishing scams, bringing the small talk relevant to empower the con. Organisations should focus on turning a cyber incident into an activation of a response plan that is runbook based and measure the response and recovery for continuous improvement.
Cybercriminals will also continue to improve the speed and accuracy of information gathering, enabling more personalised and effective scams.”
How FDM can support
At FDM, we believe the most powerful line of defence is people. That’s why we work with organisations to build in-house cybersecurity capabilities, embedding our consultants into their teams to support long-term resilience.
Consultants from our IT Operations and Risk, Regulation & Compliance Practices are equipped with the latest in cyber defence tools and skills that matter to our customers—knowing what can affect them and what’s changing in the industry. The foundation for this is training and continuously supporting our professionals in the field.
Businesses that invest in people-powered, proactive strategies will not only survive cyber threats but also emerge stronger.
