'Zombie Tech continues to haunt UK networks': Decade-old vulnerabilities fuel 67 million attacks, exposing outdated, insecure systems across organisations nationwide

Date:
Fri, 01 May 2026 06:05:00 +0000

Description:
UK organisations still run decade-old vulnerable systems as attackers exploit them relentlessly, driving millions of attacks and increasing successful breaches nationwide.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Decade-old vulnerabilities
still drive millions of attacks across UK networks Hackers prefer easy
targets left open by outdated, unpatched systems AI-driven scans expose weak networks at unprecedented speed and scale Across the United Kingdom,
thousands of organisations continue operating computer systems with security holes that were first identified over ten years ago.

Cybercriminals are taking full advantage of this negligence, launching relentless waves of attacks against these unprotected entry points. SonicWall's 2025 UK cyber threat data claims a single vulnerability in widely deployed Hikvision IP cameras accounted for 67 million attack attempts nationwide, about 20% of all major intrusions detected across British
networks during the entire year. Article continues below You may like Big
Game Hunters: UK ransomware volume drops significantly 'but the reality is more alarming' big orgs are being hit harder and with greater success 'Hacktivist attacks at scale: UK could face hacktivist threats akin to some
of the biggest ransomware incidents but with 'no option to pay a ransom to help recover' Forget zero-days - 'N-days' could be the most worrying security threat facing your systems today, here's why Attackers exploit what organisations already know but ignore "Meanwhile, Zombie Tech continues to haunt UK networks," said Spencer Starkey, Executive Vice President for EMEA
at SonicWall.

"We're seeing millions of attacks tied to a single long-known vulnerability, alongside continued exploitation of issues first disclosed more than a decade ago."

Attackers do not need sophisticated zero-day exploits when organisations
leave decade-old doors wide open.

The Hikvision camera vulnerability is not new, but it remains effective because too many networks have not been patched. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Interestingly, about 80% of IT leaders claim that they can spot a breach within eight hours of it occurring - however, evidence shows that intrusions typically go unnoticed for 181 days on average.

This gap is critical because intrusions often go unnoticed when teams assume systems are secure.

Generally, ransomware volume in the UK fell by 87% during 2025, but that seemingly positive statistic hides a darker trend. What to read next Time for an upgrade? Report warns outdated operating systems could be the 'unnecessary risk' your business forgot about Batten down the hatches - ransomware attacks are increasingly targeting firewalls, experts claim UK businesses are putting themselves at risk due to poor cyber hygiene

The number of organisations successfully compromised actually rose by 20%, meaning attackers are hitting fewer targets but causing more damage per successful breach.

"On the surface, the 87% drop might look like progress, but the reality is more alarming," Starkey said. "More organisations are being successfully hit, and attackers are doing it with far greater precision."

Smaller organisations are disproportionately affected, with ransomware
present in 88% of SMB breaches compared to just 39% at large enterprises.

The geographic concentration of these attacks is stark, with England experiencing nearly all of the UK's ransomware incidents.

London and the South East account for the vast majority of successful hits, reflecting where the most valuable targets are located.

The growing number of AI tools is a problem, as bots are now generating
36,000 scans per second across UK networks, causing AI-enabled attacks to increase by 89% in 2025.

Cybercriminals now combine automation with precision targeting, making it easier for them to find and exploit outdated systems at scale. What organisations need to do about the zombie tech problem To tackle this issue, organisations should start by conducting an immediate inventory of all connected devices that may have been installed years ago and then forgotten.

Every device in that inventory must be checked against known vulnerability databases, with priority given to patching any issue that has public exploit code available.

Any device that cannot be patched should be replaced with modern alternatives that receive regular security updates.

Network segmentation should also be implemented to isolate legacy devices so they cannot be used as entry points to more critical systems.

Firewalls must be tested regularly to ensure they are actually blocking the traffic patterns associated with known vulnerabilities, rather than merely logging them. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/zombie-tech-continues-to-haunt-uk-netwo rks-decade-old-vulnerabilities-fuel-67-million-attacks-exposing-outdated-insec ure-systems-across-organisations-nationwide


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