UK small businesses are facing greater AI security threats than ever and are sadly woefully unprepapred

Date:
Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:46:05 +0000

Description:
Half (49%) of UK SMBs have experienced an incident in the past year, ESET finds.

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 ESET finds nearly half (49%) of UK SMBs have experienced an incident in the past year Phishing , unpatched vulnerabilities , weak passwords, and a lack of monitoring often to blame AI-powered tools will prove a much bigger challenge for SMBs British small businesses are being hit by more cyberattacks than ever before, and the increasing use of AI technology by hackers could put more of them at risk, experts have warned.

ESETs 2026 SMB Cyber Risk Report found that nearly half (49%) of UK SMBs have experienced an incident in the past year, with 13% of those experiencing more than one incident. Many of the 500 UK SMBs surveyed expressed fears that the situation is only going to get worse, as criminals employ new AI-assisted tools to launch more powerful attacks. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch
full video here: SMBs at risk The top security concern for SMBs was
AI-powered malware, with the most common causes of attack found to be phishing, unpatched vulnerabilities, weak passwords, and a lack of
monitoring.

Security should be an important consideration for businesses of all sizes,
but with so many plates to spin, can go neglected in some SMBs. You may like SMEs arent too small to target for cybercriminals, theyre too exposed to ignore Many companies deploying AI often end up with much bigger security issues, report warns AI is making cyber threats faster, but trust will define which businesses survive

This isn't the only challenge they face, as the report also flagged issues such as a struggle to keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, staying the pace with new technologies like AI, vulnerability and patch management, and a lack of skills in the workforce.

The findings are especially concerning as SMBs make up more than half of UK turnover in the UK private sector - around 2.8 trillion, and so are often popular targets for hackers. 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.

It isn't all bad news though, as in order to help resolve security
challenges, over half (55%) of UK SMBs said they expect to increase cybersecurity budgets over the next 12 months, with top investment priorities including employee training and awareness and cloud security.

Its true that AI will help cybercriminals to speed up their attacks against
UK businesses. But the core tactics used like phishing or exploiting software vulnerabilities will largely stay the same, explains Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET.

Until organisations can improve their security by locking down the basics, smaller businesses will be easy pickings for cybercriminals looking to steal sensitive data and turn a profit. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/uk-small-businesses-are-facing-greater- ai-security-threats-than-ever-and-are-sadly-woefully-unprepapred


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