Traditionally the preserve of large corporations, cybersecurity isn’t something that smaller businesses have ever really needed to worry about that much.
That could be set to change soon, however, as UK Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall recently warned that British businesses of all sizes are now under threat. Advances in AI have now intensified the risk of being hacked beyond anything seen before.
The power and accessibility of AI
Where there was once only a relative handful of hackers skilled enough to pose a risk to businesses, AI’s accessibility has led to a scenario in which the know-how to break companies’ security is available to anyone with an internet connection.
The speed that AI models are improving only serves to compound this concern, as Anthropic found only recently.
Does Anthropic have a Pandora’s box on their hands?
Anthropic, the company behind AI helper, Claude, caused a media storm when they announced that the planned release of their AI tool, Mythos, had been shelved as it was too dangerous to release to the public.
Finding that Mythos was “strikingly capable at computer security tasks”, Anthropic pulled the plug before its release. Their new tool had shown that it could outperform humans at hacking and other cybersecurity tasks.
A spokesman for Anthropic claimed that “Mythos Preview has already found thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities, including some in every major operating system and web browser.
“Given the rate of AI progress, it will not be long before such capabilities proliferate, potentially beyond actors who are committed to deploying them safely”.
Project Glasswing
Worried about the potential for AI to disrupt, Anthropic made the tool available to 12 tech companies to allow them to shore up their security. Apple, Microsoft, Google, and others were among those given access.
Anthropic named this endeavour ‘Project Glasswing’ and described it as “an effort to secure the world’s most critical software”.
During the launch of Project Glasswing the AI company also revealed that it had contacted the US government to offer to help them defend against similar risks.
How does the standard British SME come into all of this?
As more people are given access to tools that allow them to circumnavigate security features, the risk to smaller businesses intensifies.
Realising this, the technology secretary has said that “it is vital that we are prepared for frontier AI model capabilities to rapidly increase over the next year, and plan accordingly for that outcome,
“Government action alone will not be enough. Every business in the UK has a part to play.
“Criminals will not just target government systems and critical infrastructure. They will target ordinary companies, of every size, in every sector. Attackers will go where defences are weakest.”
A cyber attack can be crippling to a business
We’ve already seen chaos brought upon several high-profile British firms by hackers in recent years.
Just last year, we saw six million Co-op customers have their data stolen, with supply disruption costing the company £206 million.
Around the same time, Marks and Spencer had a hacking incident that cost them an estimated £136 million.
2025 also saw the costliest hacking incident ever experienced in Britain take place. An attack on Jaguar Land Rover cost the UK economy more than £1.9 billion.
Looking for ways your business can evolve?
Moving forward, any growth plans your company has should also include contingencies for events that can threaten its existence. Unforeseen threats are trickier to account for, but by keeping a healthy cash flow and taking action as soon as you find your company in a vulnerable position, you can mitigate the risk.
Don’t allow your business to linger in a perilous position. One external issue can cause everything to tumble down Call us on 0800 060 8505, or email advice@forbesburton.com for a free consultation on how we can arrange debt payment plans and Time to Pay agreements.
