The recent cyber attacks on the Co-Op, M&S, and Harrods are a stark reminder that no business is immune to security threats – regardless of size, sector, or stature. While high-profile breaches often dominate headlines, we mentioned in our article on these attacks that data from the UK Government’s 2025 Cyber Security Breaches Survey reveals that nearly one in five businesses – including 25% of small firms – faced a cyber attack in the past year. The message is clear: it’s no longer a question of if you’ll be targeted, but when.

Too many organisations still treat security as a cost to be minimised. In reality, the cost of failing to implement proper controls – in both financial and reputational terms – is significantly higher than the investment required to do things properly from the start. Take a look at last week’s attacks for a real-world example of how tangible the impact is – share prices were down by as much as 7.2%, wiping out half a billion pounds in market value almost overnight. A single oversight can result in prolonged downtime, lost customers, regulatory penalties, and brand erosion that’s difficult to recover from.

So, what are the most common shortfalls that businesses overlook – and how can they be resolved before they escalate into something far worse?

Weak or Incomplete Authentication Measures

Basic credential security remains a persistent problem. Despite growing awareness, many organisations still rely on SMS-based two-factor authentication, weak or reused passwords, and insecure credential storage.

To strengthen your defences:

• Implement passwordless authentication using secure apps or biometric methods.
• Enforce strong password policies and use credential vaults for internal access.
• Use MFA with end-to-end encrypted authenticator apps such as Microsoft Authenticator, Duo, or Authy – never rely on SMS or email as a second factor.

Even a single compromised account can be all it takes to bring down your network – so treat every login as a potential point of failure.

Lack of Ongoing Staff Security Training

The human factor remains one of the weakest links in any organisation. Attackers know that impersonating trusted colleagues or exploiting a moment of uncertainty can yield greater access than any brute-force technique.

Key steps:

• Run regular, scenario-based training on phishing, social engineering, and impersonation.
• Empower staff to question unusual requests – even if they appear to come from internal teams or senior personnel.
• Keep training relevant and adaptive, reflecting the latest threat patterns and tactics.

Security awareness is not a box to be ticked once a year. It’s a living discipline – and your first line of defence.

Poor Visibility and Delayed Threat Detection

It’s not uncommon for breaches to go undetected for days – sometimes weeks. During that time, attackers can move laterally through your systems, exfiltrate data, and quietly prepare to do maximum damage.

To improve visibility:

• Use real-time monitoring tools like AWS GuardDuty, Azure Sentinel, or Datadog Security Monitoring.
• Configure intelligent alerts based on behaviour rather than static rules.
• Integrate detection systems with incident response workflows to shorten time-to-containment.

If you’re not looking, you won’t see the warning signs – and if you’re not alerted quickly, you won’t have time to respond.

Unpatched Software and Legacy Systems

Unpatched systems and outdated software provide some of the easiest routes into an organisation. Attackers actively scan for known vulnerabilities – especially those with published exploits – and will exploit them without hesitation.

Address this by:

• Implementing a regular patching cycle with automated deployment wherever possible.
• Maintaining a full asset inventory to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
• Phasing out unsupported systems and applications that no longer receive security updates.

Legacy infrastructure might seem harmless, but when it becomes the weakest link in your security chain it’s time to do something about it.

Inadequate Data Encryption and Storage Practices

In several high-profile breaches, attackers were able to access and decrypt credential stores or sensitive customer data due to weak or outdated encryption.

To avoid becoming the next headline:

• Use enterprise-grade encryption standards like AES-256 for data at rest, and TLS 1.2 or above for data in transit.
• Store sensitive credentials using secure hashing algorithms such as Argon2 or bcrypt.
• Encrypt backups and ensure they’re stored separately from live infrastructure.

Encryption isn’t just about compliance – it’s your last line of defence when all else fails.

Lack of Incident Response Planning

Far too many businesses are caught flat-footed during an attack. Without a clear plan, the response is often chaotic – leading to longer downtimes, greater damage, and more severe fallout.

Every organisation should:

• Develop and maintain an incident response playbook covering common attack scenarios.
• Define roles and responsibilities clearly across technical and leadership teams.
• Conduct simulated breach exercises to test readiness and identify gaps.

Preparedness is not paranoia – it’s operational prudence.

Conclusion: Prevention is Cheaper than Cure

It’s easy to dismiss certain security gaps as low-priority – until they’re exploited. Most breaches don’t occur because attackers are especially sophisticated; they happen because the door was left ajar.

Being proactive about your security posture is not just responsible – it’s good business. And if you’re not sure where to start, it’s worth bringing in experts who can help you assess your risks and implement practical solutions that scale with your business.

At Vertex Agility, we’ve helped organisations around the world strengthen their defences and respond rapidly when things go wrong. One of our most impactful engagements involved resolving a multi-day attack on a global consumer electronics provider – an incident that compromised over 80 million accounts. Our team assessed their cloud network, remediated the breach, and built a resilient, future-proof strategy that restored trust and performance.

Whether you’re looking to identify vulnerabilities or need an experienced team to lead your security transformation, we’re here to help.

📧 Get in touch now for more information