Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate he has made of the number of cyber attacks on large shops in the last 5 years.

The government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 estimates that 43% of UK businesses suffered a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months, equivalent to 612,000 organisations. In the retail/wholesale sector, this figure is 32%. The proportion of businesses in the retail/wholesale sector suffering a cyber breach or attack in each of the past five years are as follows:

2021: 37%

2022: 29%

2023: 28%

2024: 43%

2025: 32%

The cyber security of the UK is a priority for the government. Organisations of any size, in any sector, can use the government's Cyber Essentials scheme to protect themselves against the majority of cyber threats. 92% fewer insurance claims are made by businesses and organisations with these controls in place. Further, the new Cyber Governance Code published in April sets out how boards and directors how to effectively manage digital risks. Beyond these, companies and public organisations can help protect themselves against ransomware and other cyber threats by using the wide range of free advice, training and tools available on the National Cyber Security Centre website.