Recent BT research revealed a 300% year-on-year increase in malicious scanning activity, with connected devices now probed an average of 4,000 times a day as AI tools rapidly increase the scale and pace of cyber threats. BT’s latest data shows the company now prevents 4 million cyber attacks across its networks every day.

SMEs are a prime target, with half saying the risk of cyber threats is one of their top tech concerns. Despite this, close to 1.8 million businesses, around one in three of the UK’s SME population, still lack even basic cyber protection, leaving a significant gap in the nation’s defences.

For the first time, BT has launched new AI-powered cyber tools, powered by CrowdStrike, for UK SMEs – giving them access to leading-edge cybersecurity typically reserved for big businesses. BT’s new Cyber Support Hub offers a wealth of free support to help close the UK’s growing cyber resilience gap. Developed in line with National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) guidance, this gives SMEs access to easy-to-understand assessments, guidance and practical next steps.

Government figures suggest the average cyber breach now costs a UK business £3,550. With 43% of UK businesses having experienced at least one breach or attack in the past year, the need for simple, accessible support has never been more urgent.

BT is now providing the following free tools to UK SMEs:

• Cyber Health Check – a simple self-assessment tool to help SMEs understand their risks, and receive a cyber score and prioritised action plan in response
• Cyber Guides – a dedicated team of cyber advisors offering clear and practical advice by phone, online chat, and in-store
• AI Cyber Assistant – providing 24/7 support to any cyber question, utilising guidance and insights curated by BT’s security experts
• Cyber Support Hub – a platform packed with practical explainers and easy how-to guides, to help SMEs stay one step ahead of cyber threats

The NCSC also provides free support to SMEs through its Cyber Action Toolkit, which is designed to help sole traders and small businesses take their first steps in cyber security. It provides bite-sized actions to help protect their money and reputation from cyber criminals. The toolkit is a strong starting point to help small businesses put in place basic measures and develop confidence to work towards Cyber Essentials - the government-backed certification scheme that demonstrates an organisation meets the recognised UK minimum standard for cyber security.

The BT press release contains references for the research and statistics mentioned in this article.