High profile cases of laptops being lost on trains, or disks finding their way into the wrong hands have generated the headlines surrounding digital security. But beneath the stories of human error, there is a huge and growing threat of cyber attacks that companies must be fully prepared for.

In a marketplace where companies are increasingly reliant on their digital infrastructure not only to organise and control their back office functions, but also to conduct their sales and customer interaction, a malware or hacking attack could be crippling.

Data from Guidance Software indicates that the average organisation experiences between 5,000 and 10,000 malware attacks each day – and it only takes one failure in security to have a major impact on a business.

Along with an IT function and infrastructure that is robust and prepared for attack, companies must ensure their staff are aware of the potential risks online, and make every precaution to ensure their exposure is minimised

Companies must also make sure they have adequate disaster recovery and business continuity plans in place to prepare for the worst.