London, U.K. – 26 March 2024
HybrIT Services, specialists in IT solutions and Managed Services that bridge traditional and modern infrastructures, and Censornet, pioneers in AI-driven cybersecurity, collaborated to reveal the expanding role of artificial intelligence in fortifying the cyber defences of UK Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs). The 2024 Cyber Resilience Report provides a comprehensive analysis of how exactly AI technologies are being adopted to navigate the increasingly sophisticated cyber threat environment.
Research findings include:
A promising 56% of private sector SMBs have adopted AI to counteract the advanced nature of modern cyber threats, showcasing a proactive approach to leveraging technology in defence mechanisms.
In the public sector, there's a growing acknowledgment of AI's capabilities, with 26% of organisations integrating AI to streamline security operations and enhance threat detection, signalling a broader acceptance of AI's utility across various sectors.
The optimism around AI extends to workload management, with over half of the private sector respondents (52%) expressing confidence in AI's potential to reduce the strain on IT teams, allowing for a more focused approach to risk management and security optimisation.
Dave Landreth, CTO of Network & Security at HybrIT Services, sees the report's findings as a turning point in cybersecurity. "Integrating AI into our defences is a game-changer," he says. "The report highlights how AI goes beyond just spotting and stopping threats. It can predict weaknesses before they're exploited, allowing small and medium businesses (SMBs) to be proactive. However, the intense marketing push for AI as a powerful tool is forcing companies to adopt it quickly. This creates new security and compliance challenges that some organisations aren't equipped for. That's where experts like HybrIT come in to provide the support they need."
The report clearly shows that AI in cyber has taken hold, with 94% of businesses deployed more
AI-powered cybersecurity technologies in the last 12 months. The safety net of AI has left 78% of security leaders feeling more secure knowing that AI- powered cybersecurity is defending
their business against attacks.
“Cybersecurity professionals are working hard to discern genuine threats from noise - sacrificing sleep, holidays, and career stability,” commented 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.”
About HybrIT Services
A trusted IT consultancy and Managed Services Provider (MSP), HybrIT leverages its deep expertise in cybersecurity to deliver comprehensive solutions across secure and next-generation Networks, Microsoft technologies, Unified Communications and multi-cloud infrastructure. Understanding the critical nature of IT security for businesses of all sizes, HybrIT crafts secure and customised solutions to meet each client's unique needs and goals. More at https://www.hybrit.co.uk/
About Censornet
Headquartered in an innovation hub in Basingstoke, UK, Censornet gives mid-market organisations the confidence and control of enterprise-grade cyber protection. Its AI powered cloud security platform integrates attack intel across email, web, and cloud to ensure cyber defences react at lightning speed. More at: https://censornet.com/
About this report
The research findings are taken from Censornet’s 2024 UK Cyber Resilience Report. The annual report is based on insights from 200 UK-based IT and security leaders and lays bare how SMBs’ cyber readiness has been impacted by the events of the last three years. It sets out how SMBs fared under attacks in 2023. And why IT leaders’ desire sophisticated and integrated security solutions. The research was conducted in partnership with market research specialist, 3Gem between 10th – 17th January 2024. To download the report in full, click here.