- Armis Report: 54% of UK businesses hit by state-sponsored attacks in 2025
- IT executives warn that GenAI increases cyberwar risks
- Many lack the expertise and budget to deploy AI-based defenses
A record number of businesses in the UK were hit by state-sponsored bad actors last year, with IT leaders viewing generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as a tool to exacerbate risks.
That’s according to security researcher Armis, who has just released its Armis Cyberwarfare 2026 report. Based on interviews with almost 2,000 IT decision-makers around the world, as well as proprietary data, Armis said more than half of UK businesses (54%) reported experiencing a state-sponsored attack in the last year, up from 47% a year ago.
The vast majority (80%) believe that the current political situation significantly increases the risk of state-sponsored cyberattacks (compared to 74% year-on-year), while almost all (92%) say they are concerned about the implications of widespread cyberwar. Three-quarters (76%) believe that state-sponsored threat actors could seriously damage critical infrastructure.
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A more persistent cyber war thanks to AI
At the same time, the majority of respondents view the rise of AI as rather problematic. Two-thirds (69%) say the weaponization of technology makes cyber conflicts more persistent, and half (48%) say their company suffered an AI-based attack in the last year.
AI can also be used as a defense mechanism, but most companies have not yet achieved this. Armis says 45% of respondents confirmed they don’t have the expertise to implement and manage AI-based security solutions, and 46% said they don’t have the appropriate budget.
“Attackers are operating at machine speed, while too many organizations are still trying to defend with assumptions and frameworks designed for a very different threat landscape,” said Nadir Izrael, CTO at Armis. “Nation-state capabilities, accelerating AI, and unaddressed security vulnerabilities are converging. For many organizations, the question is not if they will face a cyberwarfare attack, but when – and how well prepared they are actually to defend themselves and their environment when it happens.”
Via Infosecurity magazine
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