// NEWS //
Majority of SMBs have compromised users
evolving and the ways that security operations are structured to respond, particularly for security tools that still rely on manual processes and lack agentic workflows to automate triage, enrichment and remediation.
Drawing on Guardz data across SMB environments over the past two quarters, the report shows that while AI has dramatically increased the speed and scale of cyberattacks, the underlying points of compromise remain unchanged. Instead, attackers are exploiting the same weaknesses more efficiently, especially across identity systems, authentication flows and misconfigured cloud environments.
Guardz, a cybersecurity company empowering Managed
Service Providers( MSPs) to protect small- and mediumsized businesses( SMBs), has released its 2026 State of MSP Threat Report, revealing how AI is rapidly reshaping the threat landscape while exposing persistent gaps in identity, authentication, endpoint and cloud security. The findings point to a growing imbalance between the speed at which threats are
The threat is particularly acute for MSPs because the attack surface is multiplied across every client they manage. The report found that RMM tool abuse was the single largest endpoint threat campaign, accounting for 26 % of all detections. Tools including ScreenConnect, AteraAgent and MeshAgent were observed being deployed for unauthorised persistent access. A single compromised MSP tool doesn’ t affect one business; it opens a direct path into every client in their portfolio. The Guardz Threat Hunting team predicts MSP supply chain attacks will intensify in H2 2026 as threat actors increasingly impersonate legitimate RMM infrastructure to establish that access.
Tide launches UK’ s first connected payroll and dividends solution for SMEs
Tide, a UK leading business management platform, has announced the launch of its new Dividends boost, making it the first connected bank account in the UK to offer both payroll and dividends within the same platform.
This new feature is specifically designed to support the significant portion of the UK’ s entrepreneurial landscape that operates as single-director companies, as well as SMEs with employees or teams. Recent Tide analysis shows that around 80 % of new businesses formed in the UK are single-director entities, a demographic that often faces a complex administrative burden when trying to pay themselves efficiently. The majority of Limited Company directors in the UK utilise a combination of salary and dividends to maximise their tax efficiency.
The Dividends boost follows the successful introduction of Tide Payroll, which was established after Tide’ s acquisition of the HMRC-recognised SME payroll solution, OnFolk, in October 2024. By bringing the OnFolk team and their specialised platform into the Tide ecosystem, Tide Payroll, allowing members to manage staff wages, pensions and accounting integrations directly within the app.
While Tide Payroll has been active and supporting members since its initial rollout, the addition of the Dividends boost completes the financial workflow for directors, enabling them to handle both salary, team and dividend payments in a single, unified interface.
Tide’ s integrated solution of payroll and dividends now allows directors to:
• Pay a combination of salary and dividends to extract money from their business
• Instantly generate necessary legal documents
• Execute dividend payments and track historical payments.
Intelligent SME. tech
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