03 April 2024
UK SMBs experienced a 37% surge in daily cybersecurity warnings over the last year, according to research from Censornet.
The volume of cyber security warnings rose from 597 in 2023 to 815 in 2024, leaving security professionals with just 87 seconds to review each security incident and decide what is a genuine threat.
Private sector organisations were hit harder by the tsunami of cyber threats, receiving 18% more alerts than their public sector counterparts. As threat levels rose, IT teams also showed signs of shrinking - the mean size of each security team at the beginning of 2024 was 2.63 people, slightly down from 2.7 people in 2021.
“Cybersecurity professionals are working hard to discern genuine threats from noise - sacrificing sleep, holidays, and career stability,” saidd Ed Macnair, CEO of Censornet. “With SMBs forming the lifeblood of the UK economy, it’s imperative to simplify and bolster their resilience against rising cyberthreats, leaning into new technologies, such as AI, to help.”
Despite the rising intricacy and persistence of threats, the ability of SMBs to protect against some of the most common attack vectors is on the decline. Over two thirds (69%) of SMBs list the number of point products needed to protect against the entire threat spectrum as one of their biggest challenges in 2024.
To manage their risk, SMBs are turning to cyber applications that are easier to set-up, manage and maintain. And overwhelmed private sector professionals are more hopeful about the opportunities that AI will offer to automate everyday tasks and combat AI generated threats.
