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UK Retail and Manufacturing Face High Security Exposure Risks

UK Retail and Manufacturing Face High Security Exposure Risks

First seen 8 Oct 2026, 10:38 UTC • •
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ThreatCluster AI
ThreatCluster •October 8, 2026 at 11:32 UTC
  • •Retail and manufacturing sectors are the most security-exposed in the UK.
  • •41% of retail premises reported being victims of crime in 2022/23.
  • •77% of data breaches in 2025 were caused by human error.

New research from ID Card Centre reveals that the UK retail and manufacturing sectors are the most exposed to security threats, scoring 50.9 on the UK Industry Security Exposure Index. This index combines data breach reports from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) with crime statistics from the Commercial Victimisation Survey. Over 41% of wholesale and retail premises reported being victims of crime in the 2022/23 survey, the highest rate among all sectors. Utilities follow with a score of 43.1, while Transport and Leisure, Charitable organisations, and Membership Associations round out the top five. Notably, local government has the highest data breach rate, exceeding 1,200 breaches per 10,000 organisations. The research highlights that 77% of UK data breaches in 2025 were due to human error or process failure rather than hacking. Ben O’Brien from ID Card Centre emphasizes the need for organizations to integrate physical and digital security strategies.

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Timeline

2026-10-07
UK Industry Security Exposure Index published
ID Card Centre released a new index ranking UK industries by combined digital and physical security exposure.
Intelligentciso
2026-10-08
Research findings reported
Securityjournaluk published findings highlighting the high exposure of retail and manufacturing sectors to security threats.
Securityjournaluk

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Common questions

Which sectors are most affected?
Retail and manufacturing are the most affected, followed by utilities and transport.
What causes most data breaches?
77% of data breaches in 2025 were due to human error or process failure.
How should organizations respond?
Organizations should integrate their physical and digital security strategies to address vulnerabilities.