SMEs face rising cyber attacks as AI-driven threats intensify

A recent ESET study found that 45% of small and medium‑size enterprises (SMEs) suffered at least one cyber‑security incident in the past year, and 61% fear further attacks in the coming months. The same research highlighted that 73% of SMEs already use AI‑based tools, while many worry about AI‑enhanced malware.

WatchGuard’s global survey reported that 75% of organisations experienced a cyber incident in the last twelve months and 91% are concerned about attacks driven by artificial intelligence. A separate report from Cofense showed AI‑accelerated phishing emails landing every 19 seconds in 2025, a 204% year‑on‑year increase, with attackers now able to personalize campaigns in minutes.

Infobip’s 2026 fraud and security report indicated a 71% rise in AI‑powered fraud detection as criminals employ AI to scale attacks, while Kaspersky’s compromise assessment revealed that 31% of breaches go undetected for over three months and 52% of high‑severity incidents remain hidden for more than 90 days. These findings underscore a widening gap between threat sophistication—especially AI‑driven phishing, ransomware and supply‑chain attacks—and the ability of many SMEs and larger firms to detect and respond promptly.

Experts stress that investment in cyber‑resilience must shift from a purely technical focus to a strategic business priority, integrating proactive detection, robust incident‑response processes and continuous staff awareness programs to mitigate the growing AI‑enabled threat landscape.