Challenges

Ransomware threats:
Half of housing associations feel underprepared for ransomware attacks, with only 4% feeling fully prepared. Over 73% of UK organisations faced ransomware attacks in the past year, proving the urgent need for robust protection.

Security monitoring:
25% of housing associations rate their ability to identify suspicious activity and generate alerts as “low,” revealing a critical area for improvement in early threat detection and response.

Disaster recovery:
While 54% of housing associations believe they are well-prepared for disaster recovery, 25% feel somewhat underprepared. Effective disaster recovery planning is essential to minimise downtime and data loss after a cyber incident.

Data breaches:
More than half of housing associations feel prepared for data breaches, but 29% consider the sector somewhat underprepared. Strong measures are needed to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive information.

Security awareness:
46% of housing associations feel the sector is only somewhat covered when it comes to security education and awareness. With 82% of data breaches involving human error, comprehensive training and awareness are key to reducing this risk.