BT Business has launched a new suite of cyber security tools for UK small and medium-sized businesses, combining AI-powered protection with free advisory support as scanning activity and attack volumes continue to rise.
Recent BT research found a 300% year-on-year increase in malicious scanning activity, with connected devices now probed an average of 4,000 times a day. The company also said it blocks 4 million cyber attacks across its networks every day. Against that backdrop, it estimates that around 1.8 million UK SMEs — roughly one in three — still lack even basic cyber protection.
The new offer includes AI-powered cyber solutions backed by CrowdStrike, giving smaller businesses access to tooling that BT said has typically been reserved for larger enterprises. Alongside the paid protection layer, the company has also launched a Cyber Support Hub, which includes a Cyber Health Check, a team of Cyber Guides available by phone, online chat, and in-store, an AI Cyber Assistant, and practical support materials built around National Cyber Security Centre guidance.
Government figures cited by BT suggest the average cyber breach now costs a UK business £3,550, while 43% of businesses reported at least one breach or attack in the past year. Those figures help explain why BT is broadening its cyber offer at the smaller end of the market, where exposure is high but specialist security resources are often limited.
Jon James, chief executive officer at BT Business, said: “As technology continues to evolve at breakneck speed, cyber-attacks are becoming ever more sophisticated. For UK SMEs, this means they now must defend themselves against the same highly complex threats faced by large enterprises, without the resources, expertise or budget to match.”
