With headlines about cyber-attacks frequently being published and broadcast, David Osgar looks at how print and sign businesses can better understand and brace themselves for the threats posed by cyber criminals and disruptors UNDERSTANDING THE THREAT OF CYBER-ATTACKS ON YOUR BUSINESS What do Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Jaguar Land Rover all have in common? In 2025 the three brands all experienced significant cyber-attacks that resulted in dramatic losses in revenue and major service outages for customers and employees. More and more cyber-attacks are becoming more common place with the likes of the NHS, UK Ministry of Defence, Royal Mail, Southern Water, and Cambridge University experiencing attacks in the last two years. The Winter Olympics 2026 recently avoided a “Russian origin” cyber-attack against foreign ministry sites, demonstrating the scale and frequency of these attacks. These attacks and disruptions are not even limited to large corporations or organisations either. In 2021 Gloucester City Council suffered a cyber attack in which Russian hackers sent an email out to look like it was part of a wider conversation which then released malicious software that made all of Gloucester City Council’s systems inaccessible. Tewkesbury Borough Council faced a similar threat in 2024 which led to huge changes in training, so that staff and councillors could spot potential threats. Attacks on businesses like those mentioned as well as the likes of Currys, TalkTalk, Marriott International, and Equifax all being affected in the last ten years, shows how serious cybersecurity needs to be taken. For printers and sign-makers, sensitive documents are often part and parcel of the work they carry out, especially if it is linked to billing, education, or electoral information. Not only is the data and information important, but more and more companies are finding themselves becoming victims to scams and threats which are there simply there to cause CYBERSECURITY | DAVID OSGAR 54 email: editor@signlink.co.uk Issue 264 - April | May 2026
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