UK warns business leaders as 'highly significant' cyber incidents rise 50%

By James Pearson

LONDON (Reuters) -British cyber incidents classed as “highly significant” have risen by 50% over a year ago, the head of the country’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) will say on Tuesday. A series of cyber attacks in recent months has knocked some of Britain’s biggest brands, including Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), offline. “Every leader, whether you’re one person at your kitchen table  or the boss of thousands of people,  you must have a plan to defend against criminal cyberattacks,” NCSC CEO Richard Horne is due to say at the launch of its annual review in London. The NCSC, part of Britain’s GCHQ spy agency, was asked to help with 429 cyber incidents in the 12 months to August, half of which were considered of “national significance”