LONDON – A newly released government study shows that British companies continue to face significant cyber security challenges, with nearly half of all businesses experiencing digital attacks during the past year.
The official Cyber Security Breaches Survey revealed that 43% of UK companies fell victim to cyber incidents during 2025/26, representing roughly 612,000 businesses across the country. This figure matches the previous year’s statistics, indicating that cyber threats remain a persistent challenge for British enterprises.
Phishing schemes emerged as the primary method used by cybercriminals, targeting 38% of businesses – unchanged from the prior year’s data. These email-based attacks typically trick employees into revealing sensitive information or clicking malicious links.
While the current numbers remain concerning, they do represent an improvement from 2023/24, when half of all businesses reported experiencing cyber incidents. The seven percentage point decrease suggests some progress in corporate security measures.
Government officials are emphasizing the urgency of enhanced cyber defenses, particularly as artificial intelligence technology creates new vulnerabilities. Britain’s cyber security minister has called on company executives to strengthen their protective measures immediately, citing AI’s role in making digital threats more sophisticated.
Adding to these concerns, the director of Britain’s national cyber security organization recently warned about increasing attack risks from foreign adversaries. Government ministers have also issued formal correspondence to business leaders highlighting the emerging cyber risks associated with artificial intelligence technologies.
