TalkTalk's chief executive has warned all UK companies could be under threat from a cyber attack as she revealed she has drafted in defence experts after the firm's website was hacked.
Dido Harding has referred the security breach to BAE Systems, which supplies cyber security to government agencies, after swathes of customers' data was stolen following the attack.
She said she remains unsure exactly how many customers had been affected and warned any UK could face the same threat.
Baroness Harding told the Times: "This is a sort of cyber security arms race. Criminals are learning how to do things. One of the first calls I made on Wednesday was to BAE."
TalkTalk has claimed any stolen data would not allow criminals to empty bank accounts because credit card details were not stored in its system and no account passwords were accessed.
The peer also told the Daily Telegraph: "Do I wish I had done more? Of course I do. But would that have made a difference? If I'm honest I don't know.
"This is happening to a huge number of organisations all the time. The awful truth is that every company, every organisation in the UK needs to spend more money and put more focus on cyber security - it's the crime of our era."
Scotland Yard is investigating alongside the National Crime Agency (NCA) but no arrests have been made.
A ransom demand sent to the telecoms firm following the attack by someone claiming to be responsible and seeking payment is being investigated by police.
The firm has said it is not sure if the message was genuine.
