The Real Cost of Cyber Attacks

Imagine it's pay day. But your systems went offline without warning. Salary files and client data suddenly can't be accessed. Employees didn't get paid, clients are demanding answers, and your phone won't stop ringing. At the same time, cyber attackers may have already stolen employee records and bank details. That's more than just financial damage. It's reputational, legal, and personal.

This isn't a far-fetched scenario. Across the UK, major brands have been majorly disrupted by cyber attacks in recent months. For an organisation like ours, handling HR, payroll, and expenses data for ourselves and or clients, the stakes couldn't be higher. 

The rising cost of cyber attacks

The financial impact of a cyber incident goes well beyond the IT recovery bill. Costs fall into three main categories:

• Direct costs: investigations, system recovery, legal advice, regulatory fines, compensation, ransom demands.
• Indirect costs: business interruption, overtime, loss of productivity, higher insurance premiums, contractual penalties. 
• Long-term costs: reputational damage, client churn, reduced trust, and the expense of rebuilding systems and safeguards.

The UK government's Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024 found that around 50% of businesses had suffered some form of breach or attack in the past year, with the average cost of the most disruptive incident for medium and large businesses reaching £10,800. This figure is only rising as incidents become more frequent and more complex.

Lessons from Jaguar Land Rover and M&S

Recent headlines show just how devastating these attacks can be:

• Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) was hit by a major cyber attack in September 2025, forcing it to halt production at several UK factories. Reports suggest the disruption is costing the company "millions per week" and could total billions in lost output and recovery costs. Because JLR didn't have cyber insurance in place before the attack, it is bearing the full financial impact. 
• Marks & Spencer suffered an attack earlier this year that forced it's online clothing and homeware sales offline for seven weeks. The retailer has warned investors that the incident will wipe £300 million from annual operating profits. 

Both cases highlight three truths: the costs are enormous, the reputational impact is long-lasting, and no organisation—no matter how big or well-known is exempt to the risk. Even after systems are restored, rebuilding trust with customers,  suppliers, and regulators takes years.

The hidden impact: reputation and compliance

Beyond the balance sheet, cyber incidents carry hidden costs:

• Regulatory fines: under GDPR, penalties can reach up to 4% of global turnover.
• Client loss: customers may switch to competitors if trust is shaken.
• Employee morale: employees may feel unsafe or exposed if their personal data is compromised.
• Future scrutiny: once breached, organisations are more likely to face regulatory audits, higher insurance costs, and ongoing compliance checks.       

Why Cintra is a target

As a HR, payroll and expense management organisation, the data we handle is especially valuable to cyber criminals:

• Personal details (names, addresses, NI numbers, bank details).
• Payroll data (salaries, tax codes, benefits). 
• Expenses and corporate card data (purchases, receipts, account information).

This isn't abstract—criminals target this information because it can be sold, used for identity theft, or leveraged in fraud schemes. A breach wouldn't just affect us, it would impact every client and employee we serve. That multiplies both the responsibility and the potential cost. 

Cintra's data protection strategy: a multi-layered defence

At Cintra, we don't just meet the industry standard, we go far beyond it.

Our security programme is designed to be comprehensive, adaptive, and resilient, incorporating a layered defence model tailored to the unique risks of payroll and HR data handling. 

The following are just some of the technologies and practices we have implemented as part of our broader security architecture:

• Cybereason EDR: AI-powered endpoint detection and response to stop threats in real-time. 
• Rapid7 MDR: 24/7 monitoring and threat hunting by a dedicated Security Operations Centre.
• Mandatory MFA everywhere: enforced across all systems, users, and access points. 
• External domain scanning: proactively identifies and closes vulnerabilities across Cintra's digital footprint.
• Staff security awareness & simulation: regular phishing tests and ongoing training for all employees.
• Full auditability: every user action is logged, traceable, and reviewable.