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UK Government Publishes 2025/26 Cyber Security Breaches Survey

Published
Score
10

Why it matters

The UK government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Home Office released the 2025/2026 Cyber Security Breaches Survey, finding that 43% of UK businesses and 28% of charities experienced a cyber breach or attack in the past year. Phishing remains the most common and disruptive threat. The survey draws on responses from thousands of organizations across the country and tracks incident response readiness, supply-chain risk management, and security governance gaps as organizations adopt AI without matching controls.

The report shows breach prevalence has remained stable compared with prior years, but widespread exposure persists across sectors. Many organizations still lack formal incident response plans and supplier-risk reviews. Industry commentary from NCC Group and techUK underscores persistent preparedness gaps despite rising awareness of cyber risk.

Attorneys advising UK-based businesses and charities should note the scale of exposure: nearly half of businesses report breaches annually. Organizations without documented incident response procedures and supply-chain risk assessments face particular vulnerability. The survey's findings on AI adoption outpacing security governance also signal emerging compliance and liability risks for boards and general counsel overseeing technology strategy.

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