When the screens go dark, what’s your next move?
Cyber-attacks are no longer just technical problems – they’re business continuity tests.
In its 2025 Annual Review, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) reported 429 major cyber incidents in nine months, nearly half classed as nationally significant.
The government’s latest message to business leaders is stark: “Be ready to go back to pen and paper.”
Cyber security isn’t just about protection anymore. It’s about resilience, staying operational when your digital world stops.
The State of the Cyber Threat in 2025
The UK threat landscape is intensifying.
While attack numbers are steady, their impact has soared:
- Attacks on Marks & Spencer, The Co-op, and Jaguar Land Rover halted operations.
- A London healthcare cyber-attack disrupted critical services, contributing to a patient death.
- “Teenage hacking groups” are emerging domestically.
Category 2 “highly significant” attacks have jumped 50% year-on-year.
Cyber threats aren’t anomalies anymore; they’re expected interruptions.
From Cyber Security to Cyber Resilience
Traditional protection – firewalls, patching, monitoring – is still vital, but it’s no longer enough.
The NCSC now promotes resilience engineering: systems and processes that anticipate, absorb, recover, and adapt.
At Dr Logic, our IT as a Service (ITaaS) model integrates resilience into every layer of IT support, combining prevention with rapid recovery and continuity planning.
Real security is measured in how fast you can bounce back.
Planning for the Worst: The ‘Pen and Paper’ Principle
“Have a plan for how you would continue to operate without your IT, and rebuild it at pace.”
– Richard Horne, NCSC Chief Executive
When ransomware locks your systems, you can’t rely on digital copies.
Keep offline versions of:
- Key contact lists and decision trees
- Incident response playbooks
- Supplier and client comms plans
- Critical process checklists
- Authentication and backup details
It’s not about ditching digital – it’s about ensuring business doesn’t stop when systems do.
Inside the NCSC’s Incident Management Approach
The NCSC’s responders coordinate the UK’s defence against major attacks, sometimes alerting victims before they even notice a breach.
Incidents are ranked by impact:
1. National emergency
2. Highly significant
3. Significant
4 – 6. Substantial, moderate, localised
This year, 204 incidents fell into the top three tiers, up from 89.
Attacks now ripple across industries and supply chains, not just single companies.
What 2025’s Major Breaches Teach Us
Every high-profile incident revealed the same failures:
- Single points of failure that take entire systems down
- Unrehearsed plans that fail under pressure
- Unclear decision-making and communication breakdowns
- Human bottlenecks slowing critical response
The fastest recoveries came from firms that practised response plans and maintained manual fallbacks.
Resilience isn’t about budget – it’s about readiness.
Five Steps to Build True Cyber Resilience
1. Resilience by Design
Build redundancy, segmentation, and offline backups into every system.
2. Offline Incident Playbooks
Keep printed response guides and review them quarterly.
3. Zero Trust, Everywhere
Verify everything, limit access, and monitor continuously.
4. Rapid Rebuild Resilience
Maintain tested backup images and secure configs for fast recovery.
5. Human Resilience
Train all teams – not just IT – in simulated response scenarios.Dr Logic’s cyber security stack combines hybrid IT support, secure collaboration, and recovery planning, embedding resilience into everyday operations.
Make the Most of NCSC’s Support
Too few organisations use the NCSC’s excellent resources:
- Cyber Essentials (includes free cyber insurance for small firms)
- Exercise in a Box (free simulation toolkit)
- Early Warning Service (proactive vulnerability alerts)
Paired with a trusted IT partner, these form the foundation of a resilient posture.
The Business Case for Resilience
Resilience isn’t a cost – it’s a continuity investment:
- Downtime costs: A week offline can cost millions.
- Compliance risk: Weak recovery plans can void insurance and breach GDPR obligations.
- Reputation loss: Trust evaporates faster than systems can be restored.
A strong resilience plan protects not just your data, but your business future.
Conclusion: Resilience Is the Real Advantage
The NCSC’s message for 2025 is clear: no one is immune.
When chaos hits, survival depends on preparation, people, and paper.
So print your plans. Rehearse your recovery.
And partner with experts who build resilience by design, not by accident.
Ready to find out how resilient your business style?
Book a Cyber Health Check with Dr Logic and get a tailored action plan to strengthen your defences, online and off.
FAQs
What's the difference between cyber security and cyber resilience?
Cyber security focuses on preventing attacks. Cyber resilience ensures your business can recover and continue operating when one succeeds.
Why is the NCSC advising paper copies of cyber-attack plans?
Because digital systems can be encrypted or taken offline during a breach, printed plans ensure you can still act.
How can my business keep operating without IT systems?
Identify your core processes, document manual fallbacks, and test them regularly.
What types of cyber incidents are most common in 2025?
Financially motivated ransomware and data extortion remain dominant, with supply chain and state-linked attacks rising.
How can SMEs build cyber resilience affordably?
Start with Cyber Essentials, regular backups, and an IT partner who integrates resilience into every layer of your IT strategy.
