Cyber criminals are scanning British businesses’ online devices more than 4,000 times a day, according to new data from BT, as the company launches an AI-driven cybersecurity service for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Malicious online scanning activity has risen 300% in the past year, BT said, with hackers using automated bots to probe company laptops, mobile phones, and Internet of Things devices for weaknesses that can be exploited in ransomware attacks.
Professional services such as accountancy, legal, and consultancy businesses were the most targeted sector over the past 12 months, followed by retail, hospitality, and leisure. Smaller companies employing fewer than 25 people were hit hardest, underlining their vulnerability to cyber threats.
To address the growing risk, BT has partnered with global cybersecurity specialist CrowdStrike to launch BT Business Antivirus Detect and Respond, a UK-exclusive service powered by CrowdStrike Falcon® Go. The platform uses AI-native technology to identify and stop cyber threats before they escalate into breaches, extending enterprise-grade protection to smaller businesses.
Chris Sims, Chief Commercial Officer at BT Business, said cybercrime is a threat to all companies, not just well-known names that make headlines when they are hacked. He said many small businesses do not see themselves as prime targets, yet they are being attacked like never before as criminals increasingly use AI to exploit vulnerabilities. Sims said BT is focused on delivering technologies that secure organisations of all sizes, enabling them to focus on growth.
Daniel Bernard, Chief Business Officer at CrowdStrike, said adversaries are weaponising AI to launch faster and more targeted attacks, and that BT’s data shows the scale of that threat is accelerating. He said CrowdStrike has harnessed AI to stop breaches before they happen and that the partnership with BT brings that level of protection to UK small and medium-sized businesses.
The launch follows BT’s recent introduction of its Complete Cloud Secure threat protection platform and Security Awareness Training, designed to strengthen organisations’ cyber resilience. BT has also expanded its Cyber Security Decoded hub, which offers practical guides and expert advice for smaller enterprises on how to protect data, systems, and staff from online threats.
CrowdStrike’s State of SMB Cybersecurity Survey found that only 11% of small businesses currently use AI in their defences, even as criminal groups increasingly deploy AI to automate and scale their attacks. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has warned that keeping pace with frontier AI capabilities will be essential to maintaining resilience over the next decade.
