The annual Cyber Governance Check has urged businesses to do more to protect themselves from online threats after finding that 10% of FTSE companies have ‘no plan’ to deal with a cyber attack.

A further 68% of board members admitted that staff do not have the training necessary to deal with a cyber incident, despite 54% of boards saying that they view cyber security as a top priority.

The report also found that only 57% of boards have a clear understanding of the potential impacts resulting from a loss of, or disruption to, key information or data assets.

Minister of State for Digital, Matt Hancock, said: “Decisions about cyber are increasingly being taken at the board level, which reflects a significant, positive culture shift amongst FTSE 350s since the launch of the scheme. However, cyber maturity among FTSE 350s needs to improve at a faster rate to ensure we can stay ahead of future cyber security challenges.

“This year’s report shows that a small number of FTSE 350 businesses are continuing to operate without plans in place for managing cyber incidents. This is increasingly irresponsible.”

Whilst several of the statistics are cause for concern, the report did find that general awareness of online threats has increased over the last year. In 2016, only 21% boards said that they received comprehensive and informative management information on cyber risk. This year, the figure is up by 10%, with 31% of boards saying that they are adequately informed.

The increased awareness for good cyber security is likely a result of a number of recent high-profile cyber incidents, including this year’s WannaCry and NotPetya attacks. Earlier this week, MSPs and Holyrood staff were targeted by hackers attempting to breach weak e-mail accounts.

“Our economy is a digital economy. Cyber security is critical to the successful growth of this digital economy,” Hancock added. “Working together, Government and businesses can help to deliver the shared goal of making the UK the safest place in the world to do business online. I hope the findings of this report help with progress towards this shared ambition.