Why Cyber Security Investment Can No Longer Be Delayed

Cyber threats are escalating in both scale and complexity, making cyber security investment a critical priority for businesses worldwide. As new regulations tighten expectations and consumers demand greater protection, organisations must act now to safeguard their operations, data and reputations.

The Growing Pressure on Businesses

The rise in cyber threats has become a major concern across industries, with technology leaders calling for urgent investment in cybersecurity. Priorities are shifting towards cloud security, protecting sensitive data, and maintaining consumer trust in an increasingly digital economy.

Beyond internal priorities, regulatory pressure is also increasing. The introduction of frameworks such as the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), the Cyber Resilience Act, and the EU AI Act is forcing companies to re-examine the procedures and security measures they have in place. Organisations can no longer afford to view cybersecurity as a box-ticking exercise — it must become a central pillar of business resilience.

The Cost of Breaches is Rising

Recent research underscores the financial risk of inaction. According to the 2025 DTI (Global Digital Trust Insight) report, large-scale data breaches now cost businesses an estimated global average of $3.32 million. More than a quarter of executives surveyed reported that their most damaging breaches had costs exceeding $1 million.

Real-world examples highlight just how costly cyber incidents can be:

• Marks & Spencer (UK, 2025): A cyber incident has disrupted online orders and in-store systems, with estimated daily losses of around £3.8 million in online sales. The company’s share price also fell by up to 8% in the aftermath.
• Synnovis (UK, 2024): A ransomware attack on this NHS pathology provider led to costs of approximately £32.7 million, severely impacting healthcare services across London.
• Change Healthcare (USA, 2024): A cyberattack forced UnitedHealth Group to provide over $6 billion in support to affected providers, with response costs reaching nearly $2.87 billion.
• British Library (UK, 2023): A ransomware attack required the organisation to allocate £6–7 million from its reserves to fund recovery efforts.
• Delta Air Lines (USA, 2024): A cyber security-linked IT outage resulted in an estimated $550 million loss, following the cancellation of more than 7,000 flights.

These incidents show that the consequences of a breach go far beyond the initial attack. Businesses face operational disruption, customer dissatisfaction, regulatory fines, and long-term reputational damage.

Yet the damage is not purely financial. Breaches erode consumer trust, often irreparably. In a market where brand loyalty is hard-won and easily lost, customers now expect businesses to handle their data responsibly and react swiftly and transparently to any cyber incident. Failing to meet these expectations can be just as damaging as the breach itself.

Many Organisations Remain Underprepared

Despite the rising threat levels and the staggering costs of breaches, many businesses are still underprepared. Some have minimal safeguarding in place, while others remain unaware of their vulnerabilities until it is too late. Without a clear cybersecurity strategy, these organisations expose themselves not only to financial loss but also to regulatory penalties, reputational harm, and competitive disadvantage.

Building resilience must start with recognising that no business is too small, too niche, or too well-established to become a target.

How AJC Can Help

At AJC, we work with organisations to help them shift from reactive cyber security to proactive resilience. Our cyber security services include:

• Cyber security maturity assessments to uncover vulnerabilities
• Development of cloud and data protection strategies
• Regulatory compliance support aligned to DORA, the Cyber Resilience Act, and other emerging frameworks
• Incident response planning and recovery acceleration
  
• Workforce training and awareness programmes to strengthen your first line of defence

Whether you are starting to build your cyber security framework or looking to strengthen existing measures, we can help you turn compliance obligations into real business resilience.

Contact us on 020 7101 4861 or email us at info@ajollyconsulting.co.uk if you think we can help

Sources:

Marks & Spencer cyber incident: The Guardian, Reuters
Synnovis ransomware attack: Financial Times
Change Healthcare cyberattack: CM-Alliance
British Library ransomware attack: Wikipedia
Delta Air Lines cyber disruption: Wikipedia