More than half of British Columbia businesses were hit by cyberattacks last year: survey
According to KPMG, 54% of small and medium-sized businesses reported paying a ransom in the last three years
Global accounting firm KPMG says cybercrime is a growing problem in metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
According to the company, a survey of 700 Canadian companies conducted last month found that more than half of Vancouver and Island businesses were affected by cyberattacks in the last year.
73 small and medium-sized businesses in the region were surveyed, all with annual sales of more than $10 million.
54 percent of these companies also reported paying a ransom to unlock their computers in the last three years.
According to KPMG, six in 10 companies in these regions of British Columbia said their information technology systems left them vulnerable to attacks, but 60 percent of respondents still did not consider cybersecurity a “business priority.”
Erik Berg, a Vancouver-based partner at KPMG, says cyberattacks have become a reality and should not be ignored as they can be costly, disrupt operations and damage a company’s reputation.
He says companies should proactively identify their most important data and systems, then focus on protecting and securing them, while regularly testing for vulnerabilities.
Internet security
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